TMNT Gargoyles Season Two Avalon and Beyond
by Celgress
Summary: The battle for Avalon has been won, now can our heroes survive what is to come? Behold new villains and allies are introduced as the story goes full AU, and future challenges collide with terrors from the past.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimers

All characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All characters appearing in Teenage Mutant 1987 series copyright by Murakami Wolf Swenson, Inc. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All original characters are the property of Celgress.

TMNT/Gargoyles Season Two Avalon and Beyond Episode One: Ripples in the Sea of Time

By

Celgress

The Port of Yokohama Japan late June 1970

"This ship and all who sail in her are doomed" jabbered the old shabbily clothed seaman who sat on a stool in front of the rusty freighter Hamato Yoshi was about to board. The Old Seaman clasped his dirty, sun browned hand firmly around Hamato Yoshi's wrist as Yoshi attempted to bypass him.

"The three fold man. He who should be not yet is" the Old Seaman babbled on, looking Hamato Yoshi straight in the eyes. "He sees you. The darkness is coming, his darkness. We may think we can but we can never outrun the darkness."

"Leave him be yer old fool! He has booked passage on this vessel. I der not want ya bothering my people! How many times must I tell ya that old foold!?" bellowed a bald, heavyset Japanese Seaman with multiple tattoos adorning each arm. The Heavyset Seaman easily extracted Hamato Yoshi from the grip of the strange out man, whose only response was to issue forth an insane cackle.

On aboard the freighter Hamato Yoshi asked the Bald Seaman if there were any other passengers on the vessel. "Only one other" laughed the Bald Seaman, pointing at a brown haired man in a dark blue pinstriped suit who was currently leaning over the far railing. "An American businessman named Quintone somethin' or other. What do yer except this is a freighter after all." The Bald Seaman then left Hamato Yoshi to his own devices as the freighter was soon leaving and he, like all hands, was needed.

Once the freight had put to sea Hamato Yoshi settled in below deck as best he could given the cramped nature of the 'accommodations'. True traveling by freight wasn't the most glamorous way to reach his brother in Okinawa however it certainly was the cheapest. All of Hamato Yosh''s earnings, along with most of his personal possessions, had been confiscated earlier than month when he was unceremoniously thrown out of the Foot Clan. It still filled his heart with sadness that the organization he had devoted his entire adult life too had turned against him so quickly and easily after Oroku Saki had framed him for the attempted assignation of the visiting grand master. He found the dishonor of it all was the most distressing part. How would he ever live it down? Could he ever prove his innocence?

The voyage to Okinawa would take about a week by freighter. The voyage had gone smoothly for the first two days. On the third day disaster struck as the freighter ran smack dab into a freak typhoon. In a matter of hours the freight was at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, and Hamato Yoshi was riding the angry, storm swept seas in a small life boat his only companion was the American business man Mr. Quintone. The seas got rougher and rougher. Hamato Yoshi feared this was the end. A series of huge waves overtopped the small life raft spilling Hamato Yoshi and Mr. Quintone into the angry sea. Everything went black for Hamato Yoshi as yet another monstrous wave fell upon him. Just before he lost consciousness he thought he could faintly hear the American businessman chanting something, was that Latin?

The next thing Hamato Yoshi remembered he was in a warm, dry bed. The bed was in a spacious room made entirely of stone. Hamato Yoshi could tell it was daytime because he saw the bright sunlight streaming in through a nearby window the moment he got up. Wondering around the room he became increasingly confused. Where was he? The last thing he remembered he was about to drown at sea. Yet here he was in this pleasant place alive. How was this possible was this the afterlife?

"Good your up" said an older woman entering the room from a nearby doorway. "We were beginning to fear you might never awaken."

"Excuse me miss" said Hamato Yoshi, in somewhat stilled English. "I am Hamato Yoshi. I do not recall making your acquaintance."

"How rude of me, my name is Katherine" said the Older Woman extending her hand, which Hamato Yoshi took and kissed. "You're quite the charmer aren't you?" Katherine blushed at Hamato Yoshi's gesture.

"Where do I find myself Katherine?" asked Hamato Yoshi.

"That will take some explaining Hamato Yoshi. May I call you Hamato for short?" said Katherine.

"I prefer Yoshi"

"Alright Yoshi, the man who can best explain your whereabouts is one of my companions here on this island" said Katherine. "His name is Magus. I'll go fetch him."

Soon Katherine returned with an old man in a white robe with long white hair and a matching beard. Hamato Yoshi could only assume this man was 'Magus'. "Are you Magus?" he asked.

"Yes I am" said the Magus. "Tell me Yoshi from what part of the World do you hail?"

"I come from Japan" answered Hamato Yoshi.

"Hmmm, never heard of it" said the Magus thoughtfully. "What year is it Yoshi?"

"By common reckoning, using the European system, it is the year 1970 A.D." answered Hamato Yoshi. "Why do you ask Magus?"

Ignoring Hamato Yoshi's question the Magus said. "What is the last thing you remember Yoshi?"

"I was in a storm at sea. A huge wave covered us, then nothing"

"Hmmm, covered 'us' we found you alone on the beach of our island just before sunrise" said the Magus. "Who was with you during the storm?"

"An American business man named Mr. Quintone. Now please answer me where am I? Katherine told me you could answer the question."

"You are on the mystic Island of Avalon" answered the Magus.

Throughout the rest of the day the Magus, Katherine and a third man with short, graying hair and wearing to Hamato Yoshi what looked like medieval European armor called Tom explained what exactly the Island of Avalon was. Hamato Yoshi listened intently as the three told him of the magical nature of the land they had called home for forty-one years now, thy explained to him that they were originally from Medieval Europe and that time flowed much slower on Avalon than in the 'real World'. While only four decades had passed since their arrival on Avalon from their perspective centuries had elapsed in the outside world. Hamato Yoshi in turned told them of his own homeland of Japan and the wonders of the modern world. By the time the Sun set Hamato Yoshi's minding was swimming with all he had heard.

"So, this is the man my children saved from dying in the surf last night?" asked a sky blue female gargoyle with long red hair upon entering the dining hall where the four humans were seated chatted. This gargoyle, while appearing mature with several faint wrinkles, didn't seem nearly as old as the humans. Hamato Yoshi knew gargoyles only aged about half as fast as humans, thus there was every chance this gargoyle had also been on Avalon the past forty years.

"Nightingale!" said Katherine, gesturing for the new arrival to sit with the group. "I'm so glad you are awake. Hamato Yoshi here is a traveler from a strange land known as Japan. He has many interesting stories to tell, please join us."

Nightingale capped her wings, taking a seat directly across from Hamato Yoshi. When he did not flinch, or in any way react to her nonhuman appearance. Her curiosity got the better of her.

"Do you not find my appearance the least bit unnerving Hamato Yoshi?"

"Not in the least my fair gargoyle" replied Hamato Yoshi, taking Nightingale's hand and kissing it as he had done with Katherine's before. "The prefecture where I grew up was protected by a Clan of local gargoyles. After we humans devastated our own land during the Great War the local gargoyles fed and protected my people until we could fully recover. One such elder was a great sage and master of Ninjutsu. He took me and my brother in after my parents were killed in the Great War. When I was a teenager he made me his apprentice. I would not be the Ninja Master I am today without his show of kindness."

"That is a very moving story" said Katherine.

"Yes it is" agreed Nightingale. "Hamato Yoshi you are a fine human and welcomed here for as long as you wish to stay. My children please come and introduce yourselves to our guest."

A whirlwind of young adult gargoyles, thirty-six in all not including three gargoyle beasts, introduced themselves in rapid succession to Hamato Yoshi. After the introductions were finished the younger gargoyles coaxed Hamato Yoshi into telling more tales from his childhood studying the art of Ninjutsu under the Great Gargoyle Sage. By the time dawn came Hamato Yoshi was exhausted, but happy. Once the gargoyles had entered their daily stone slumber Hamato Yoshi had followed the other humans to bed. He did not awaken until late that afternoon.

That evening, after the gargoyles awoke, Hamato Yoshi asked the four oldest members of Avalon their story. He was very interested in learning what chain of events had brought them to the mystical land. The group sat again in the main dining hall of the castle, for as Hamato Yoshi had learned that first day and night a castle the structure indeed was and a truly magnificent one at that.

"Finally we were within sight of Avalon however our trails were not quite over" recalled Nightingale. "On a barge just offshore we encounter three near identical sisters and a strange man of metal. The group threatened us with 'annihilation' unless we turned around at once."

"We explained that we were refuges who had no one else to go" continued the Magus. "They however were un-swayed by our pleas for clemency. The three sisters then attacked us using a spell, which I deflected back at them. The spell turned them into owls. If not for Nightingale here I would then have perished, or worse."

"While he was distracted by the three sisters the man of metal launched a spell at Magnus" said Nightingale. "Luckily I was able to also deflect this spell back at the sender. The man of metal was turned to stone. The three owls picked up the statue and flew away. The path to Avalon was finally cleared" finished Nightingale, with a flourish of her arms.

"Interesting, so you never saw these four individuals again?" asked Hamato Yoshi curiously.

"They have never again appeared" confirmed Tom, hugging Katherine to him.

"I wonder who they were? Where they came from?" said Hamato Yoshi.

"We suspect they were Children of Oberon. The legendary Faerie Lord who may have once ruled over Avalon" answered Katherine. "Though we never have been sure, whoever, or whatever, they were we are thankful they are gone."

Hamato Yoshi spent in all nearly seven days and nights on Avalon before departing back for the 'real world'. As he explained to his new found friends he felt his destiny there was still incomplete. Everyone was said to see him go, especially the younger trio of Gabriel, Angela and Ophelia. The three had found endless fascination in his stories about his old master and the demonstrations of his Ninja skills. After many heartfelt goodbyes, and promising never to reveal the secret of the existence of Avalon to the outside world, Hamato Yoshi departed the Island on a small raft, using the incantation Tom & the Magus had taught him. In was early 1971 when Hamato Yoshi arrived in NYC. He never did get to see his brother in Okinawa again. Tom had seemingly put it best when he told the departing Hamato Yoshi that Avalon didn't send you where you wanted to go but rather where you needed to be.

Central Park late January 1995

The weather had turned unusually mild for winter in the Big Apple. The mercury had hit seventy degrees earlier that day, and it was still currently sixty-five. Leonardo and Venus were enjoying a quiet evening picnic in the park.

The two would have rather had their picnic during the day light hours. However due to the current level of anti-'freak' hysteria in the city such a course of action just wouldn't have been safe. Like the rest of their family and friends the two hated having to hide from the human population. There was little they could do about it though. Sadly things had only gotten worse in the weeks following the hostage crisis at the Nonhumans Containment Facility. Both Shredder and Clayton Kellerman, each for the benefit of his own agendas, had exploited the tragedy to the fullest. Shredder's company TCRI would be given exclusive rights to police and detain all nonhumans in the state. Kellerman for his part stoked the fires of paranoia and prejudice higher than ever. The guy was even currently organizing a group called 'People for Normalcy" or PFN. The charter of the group called for the forcible removal and relocation of all mutants and other domestic nonhumans to areas of sparse human habitation and the forcible repatriation of all non-domestic nonhuman entities back to their dimension/planet of origin.

"You know Venus sitting her with you, looking up at the stars I can almost forget all the bad things that have happened the past few months. Because it spite of all our trails & tribulations one good no great thing has happened that makes up for all the bad" said Leonardo putting his arm around Venus.

"And what would that be exactly?" asked Venus, snuggling in closer.

"Meeting you of course" Leonardo said, kissing Venus on her forehead. "I cannot imagine my life without you now."

"Nor can I imagine my life without you Leonardo. You have been so kind and understanding since I came to live here in America" said Venus, giving Leonardo a quick peck on the cheek. "When my master, my adopted father, Chung I died I feared I would never be happy again, then I met you and the rest of our family. I'm so glad I was wrong."

"That depends gramps on how much cash ya got stashed in that stupid getup" said a gruff voice from somewhere close by. The two young lovers looked at each other and uttered a collective sigh.

"Duty calls" said Leonardo breaking their embrace and jumping to his feet.

"So it does" seconded Venus following suit.

Near the pond they found four thugs attacking an older man who was dressed in what looked like armor. The attack had also drawn the attention of Donatello who was star gazing in the park as well as Goliath & Elisa who were gliding overhead on patrol at the time. The five made short work of the four thugs. What happened next flabbergasted them all.

"Goliath I have finally found you. I had almost given up hope or either finding you or our friend Hamato Yoshi" said the Stranger, turning his attention towards Goliath.

"Wait did you say Hamato Yoshi?" asked Donatello.

"Yes, why do you know him?" said the Stranger.

"He is our sensei, our teacher & father" interjected Leonardo. "How do you know of him?"

"He visited the land of my people some time ago. When he left he told us if we ever needed help to seek him out" explained the Stranger.

"Who are you?" rumbled Goliath, eyeing the Stranger suspiciously.

"Do you not recognize me Goliath?" said the Stranger. "I suppose it has been so long, and I have grown much since our last meeting. I am Tom, the peasant boy who your Clan saved from the Vikings so long ago. I came here seeking help. The eggs of your Clan, your children, are in terrible danger."

"What!?" exclaimed Goliath, in total shock, "the eggs, the children of my Clan, they survived!?"

"That they did survived and thrived in fact. Sadly if I do not soon return with help that may no longer be the case. You all must return with me to Avalon" said Tom.

"Avalon" several of the group said.

"Yes Avalon, hurry there is not a moment to lose" said Tom, urging the five aboard his raft that waited at the edge of the pond.

"Do you really think we should trust this guy?" Leonardo asked Goliath.

"I fear we have little choice. If he is telling the truth there are those that need our help. Besides how could he have known your master's name and my own name and history unless he is being truthful" reasoned Goliath.

The five loaded onto Tom's raft and departed off into a thick layer of fog that was slowly rolling ashore. Soon the raft and those it bore faded into the mist. They did not know it then, but one of their greatest adventures was about to unfold.

Meanwhile on the far side of Avalon

The three Weird Sisters stood impatiently in front of the monumental structure of metal and electronics that was the Technodrome. Everywhere around them foot soldiers, shiny black & green lined rock warriors and steel dragon troops were scurrying about performing various tasks. Suddenly Ulysses Quintone appeared in his usual ball of lightning & flame.

"Did you miss me girls?" he asked, a wide grin plastered on his face.

"We see you are still as arrogant as ever" said Luna.

"What can I say, I learned from three of the best" said Ulysses Quintone with a wink.

"When will we have our vengeance against those who have disgraced us?" Phoebe demanded.

"By tomorrow night darkness will fall across Avalon, Earth and beyond. Only those like us will continue" said Ulysses Quintone his smile growing. "All others will be no more."

"Good, Avalon will once again belong to us" said Seline, clasping her hands together.

"First Avalon ladies, then everything beyond!" laughed Ulysses Quintone.

To Be Continued


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimers

All characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All characters appearing in Teenage Mutant 1987 series copyright by Murakami Wolf Swenson, Inc. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All original characters are the property of Celgress.

TMNT/Gargoyles Season Two Avalon and Beyond Episode Two: Behind the Curtain

By

Celgress

The Tardis (while possessing Rose Tyler): "I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself. I take the words; I scatter them in time and space — [the words "BAD WOLF" detach from the Corporation's sign on the opposite wall and fly off] — a message to lead myself here."

Doctor Who - The Parting of the Ways, June 2005

"You know what I think, Ben? I think there is no Jacob. I think your people are idiots if they believe you take orders from someone else. You are the man behind the curtain, the Wizard of Oz. And you're a liar."

John Locke

Lost Season Three – The Man Behind the Curtain, May 2007

Castle Wyvern a few minutes before dawn October 1st, 994 C.E.

"Your plan will fail" The masked figure known as the Grand Censor whispered softly into the ear of the Second in command of the Wyvern Clan. "Of this I have little doubt."

"You can't be certain of that" The Second hissed back at him, as the two strolled along the battlements of the Castle. How she despised this being this creature, for creature she feared he was. Others may think me was a mere man of the cloth, but he knew better. No mere clergyman possessed the type of magical power or depth of knowledge this one did. She wasn't exactly sure what exactly he was only that has was far from an ordinary human. Perhaps he was some type of wizard like her old master the now deceased Archmage? Wouldn't that be ironic thought the Second with a smirk.

"Trust me I am" said the Grand Censor, turning the pale yellow eyes of his masked visage upon her. "Goliath and your Mentor will not return by sunrise. The Captain of the Guards, in spite of his best intentions, will be unable to protect your slumbering kin from destruction this coming day. If there are any here you wish to save, you and they must leave with most haste" The Grand Censor briefly turned his head towards the Second's favorite brother & sister who stood not far away. "Now I must go, duty calls. May God be with you, poor misguided fool." Making the sign of the cross over her the strange monk departed the battlements descending a ladder via an opening in the floor.

"Overbearing human scum!" spat out the Second the moment the Grand Censor was out of sight. Still his words haunted her thoughts. What if he was right? What if the Captain of the Guards failed in his promise to protect her Clan from the wrath of the Vikings? Perhaps she should warn the others? Looking towards the rapidly brightening eastern horizon her spirits sank, there clearly wasn't enough time left to hide the entire Clan some place safe. Whatever was she to do? Recalling her conversation with the Grand Censor she beckoned to her favorite brother & sister.

"Brother, Sister could you please accompany me to the beach?" asked the Second, approaching the Gray Male & Brown Female.

"Can this not wait Second?" asked the Brown Female. "Dawn is almost upon us."

"Yes, is there reason why this trip cannot be done tomorrow night?" argued the Gray Male.

"I assure you both it cannot wait. You must come with me at once" The Second continued urging the pair. "Please you must accompany me."

"Why must we Second, what is going on?" said the Brown Female.

Looking towards golden hued eastern horizon the Second decided to take a different approach. She only hoped it would work. "I am your Second do not question my orders, or I will tell Goliath and our Mentor of your disobedience upon their return. Now follow me down to the beach at once, there is something there we must do before dawn hurry."

Exchanging perplexed looks, and then shrugs, the pair followed the Second and glided down the sheer cliff face that abutted the eastern side of Castle Wyvern. Once the two landed on the sandy sea shore over a hundred feet below they followed the Second into the mouth of a small cave that the tides had carved into the cliff face over the eons. The Gray Male was just about to ask what the Second wished to show the pair down in the cave when the first rays of the rising sun froze the trio in stone slumber.

Night came and the three gargoyles in the small cave burst from their stone skins with mighty roars. Approaching the Second the Gray Male asked his question.

"What is down here that you want to show us Second?"

"That is no longer important. We just needed to get away from the Castle for a while. I will explain everything soon" said the Second, a look of relief on her face. "I'm heading back to the Castle now you two can remain here if you like the choice is your own."

"But…." started the Brown Female. However it was too late the Second was already energetically climbing the cliff face, using her talons to punch grip holes into the rocky surface. Exchanging confused looks and then a shrug, the pair followed her up the cliff face.

The sight that greeted the three upon their ascent was one of absolute horror. Everywhere laid the shattered stone bodies of their fellow gargoyles! The Castle had clearly been attacked during the day when their clan members had been unable to defend themselves.

"Oh no, please Dragon no, no, no" said the Brown Female holding a handful of scattered remains, her eyes rapidly filling with tears.

"How can this be?" asked the Gray Male aloud. "How could this have happened?" Then a thought entered his mind. "You" he said turning towards the Second whose eyes were slowing leaking tears, "you knew this would happen."

"Don't be absurd" said the Second dismissively, trying in vain to regain her composure.

"No my mate is right" said the Brown Female, dropping the remains she held. "Why else would you take us to the beach just before sunrise without any explanation? You did this. Our Clan is dead because of what you have done, but why?"

"I don't know what you are talking about. You two have gone mad. I do not have to listen to this" said the Second defensively, she attempted to leave but the pair blocked her at every turn.

"Why did you do it, why?" yelled the Gray Male. "Answer me, why?"

"Didn't you care about them? Loved them as we did?" asked the Brown Female, a look of deep sadness evident on her face.

"I,I,I,,,," stammered the Second. "I, Dragon I'm so sorry." She wailed falling at the feet of the pair. "It wasn't supposed to be this way I swear. The Vikings were only supposed to take away the humans, nothing more. The Captain of the Guards and I, we struck a deal with the Viking Chieftain Hakon. He was going to take away Princess Katherine, the Magus, that entire human rabble. Our home, the Castle, would have been our own again. Katherine and her court treated us like dirt for years then she brought that damn Grand Censor and his men here to further humiliate us by throwing their religion in our faces! The Captain of the Guards and I sabotaged the Castle defenses so the Vikings could entered unopposed we even cut the bow strings of the archers. The Captain promised he'd protect our people. I thought I could trust him. This is all his fault, the humans betrayed us again!" The Second's eyes were now a deep red.

"Sister what have you done." said the Brown Female shaking her head. The Gray Male didn't say anything. He just glared at the Second. Seeing the reactions of the pair the Second's eyes slowly lost their red glow. A slack jawed look replaced her grimace of anger.

"We must leave here, find Goliath and our Mentor. Let them know what has happened" said the Gray Male.

"Not the best idea" said the Grand Censor suddenly appearing on the battlements as if out of thin air.

"How did you get here human?" demanded the Second.

"I was hiding in one of towers when the Vikings sacked the Castle. I saw in which direction they departed" explained the Grand Censor. "I can lead you to them if you'd like?"

"Why would we want that?" asked the Second, not in the least bit interested by the Grand Censor's offer.

"To free the hostages, to obtain vengeance perhaps?" the Grand Censor offered with a shrug.

"Please lead the way" said the Gray Male, offering the Grand Censor to hop on his back after he exchanged a quick look and nod with his mate the Brown Female.

"Where are you two going?" demanded the Second.

"To free the hostages" replied the Brown Female. "You are welcome to come along sister."

"No, I will remain here and await the return of Goliath and our Mentor" said the Second.

"If you want, farewell" said the Gray Male, the three beings took off into the night.

Only a few minutes passed before Goliath returned. The Second witnessed her mate land atop the tower where she usually perched during the day and let out an anguished scream. Realizing that Goliath must think the remains there were her own the Second briefly considered reuniting with her mate right then and there. However her fear and guilt got the better of her. She decided it was best if she returned later when Goliath had a chance to calm down. Think how happy he'll be to learn she is alive. Slinking a safe distance away from the Castle she then took to the air gliding off into the night.

Hours later the Second returned to the still smoldering remains of Castle Wyvern, it had been a long hard night of soul searching for her. She still was worried about how Goliath and their Mentor would react to her, especially if her wayward Brother and Sister had gotten to them first. How could she possibly explain what had happened? These thoughts still swirling in her head she landed atop the topmost tower of the Castle only to be startled by what she saw. There, perched in a thinker's pose, was her beloved. The only problem was he was stone. He was stone, by night! What madness was this? On the lower towers around him was their Mentor who was also stone. The stone forms of the Trio of younger gargoyles, who had been disciplined by being sent to the Rookery the night before, were there too, as was the stone form of the gargoyle beast. The Second felt as if she may faint. Leaning against the stone form of her poor mate, as much for physical support as for comfort, she kissed the statue tenderly on the lips shedding a single tear which ran down the cheek of the statue.

"Farewell my beloved" she whispered.

Turning around she was about to depart the Castle forever when she heard something coming from the courtyard. Descending on her wings to the lower levels she soon discovered the source of the noise. There below her was the hated humans Princess Katherine, the Magus, that peasant boy Tom and his belligerent mother. So, they had survived their experience with the Vikings after all, how nice thought the Second bitterly. What were they loading into that wagon? No it couldn't be, yes it was. They were taking away the eggs of her Clan! The Second hesitated for a moment unsure of what to do next. After some consider she was about to stick with her original plan and leave. After all for all she knew her Brother and Sister had perished fearing the dreadful humans and with the others also dead or else stone for who knows how long, what could she truly offer the future children of her Clan. Could she really raise thirty-six hatchlings all alone?

"Are you are just going to let those revolting humans steal your children?" a familiar voice whispered in her right ear. "Here I thought you were better than that, for shame." The Second snapped her head to the right, but there was nothing there. Had she imagined the voice of the vile Grand Censor? It had seemed so real. Was her mind playing tricks on her senses? Losing her mind or not one thing was certain there was no way she was losing anymore family this night. The taunting voice was the final straw. She must act. Spreading her wings she descended from the Castle wall, landing directly in front of the now fully loaded chart.

"Halt!" demanded the Second, her voice booming with authority her eyes blazing red with rage. "You will not move this cart a single foot! I will not allow you to steal my children!"

"Are you daft creature!?" yelled the Magus jumping down from the cart, the ever present Grimorum Arcanorum in his hands. "We are only removing the eggs so we can protect them, as we promised your mate Goliath."

"Liar!" roared the Second, her eyes blazed red. "You are stealing my child, so you can no doubt raise them as your slaves!"

"It isn't true" said Princess Katherine, hopping down from the cart to join the Magus in confronting the Second. "I swear we promised Goliath, your mate, that we would watch over your children as if they were our own. It is the least we could do after what happened."

"Really, than explain how Goliath and the others are stone by night?" demanded the Second, eyeing the Magus and his spell book suspiciously.

Thinking quickly on her feet, and knowing the truth would only make matters worse, Katherine concocted the following explanation. "The Viking Chieftain Hakon stole the Grimorum Arcanorum, when Goliath and the others attacked the Vikings Hakon cast the stone sleep spell on them. Tragically earlier in the evening Hakon had taunted the Magus by burning several pages from the book the counter spell was on one of them. I'm so sorry, but as far as we can tell they will remain stone forever."

"Forever" the Second whispered, the fire fading from her eyes. "Forever, my entire Clan gone forever alone." The thought was almost more than she could take. For a long time nobody said or did anything. Finally Katherine broke the silence.

"Please come with us. I am headed to my Uncle King Kenneth's Castle. We will be safe there. We can all start over. This may not make you feel any better, but I am so terribly sorry for everything that has happened."

"The Massacre wasn't you fault" mumbled the Second.

"I don't just mean what happened tonight. I mean the way I have treated you and your Clan all these years. Your mate and the others risked the lives to save me in spite of everything I had done in the past. I, we all owe you and your children a great debt, one that I fear we can never repay. Please come with us" said Katherine, extending her hand in friendship. The Second looked at the hand of the Princess for several seconds, before she firmly gasped it.

Avalon fifty years ago local time dilation

"Where am I?"

"What happened?"

"How did I get here?"

"I remember. That mutant turtle damaged the guidance system of me dimensional displacement device. He then zapped me with it. Now I am here, wherever here is?" thought the genius foot solider called Alpha One.

Getting up and dusting off his uniform. Alpha One quickly noted two things. First he was on a beach in a temperate climate. The second during dimensional entry he had fallen, hard, on some rocks which had ruptured his chest cavity. Looking down he noted the gaping hole in his torso, the leaking hydraulic fluid, and the exposed sparking circuits. Alpha One's internal sensors told him his primary power cell had been critically damaged. His power reserves were already down to 63%, and rapidly falling. If he didn't find a new source of energy within the next hour he would face the prospect of permanent deactivation, in robotics lingo death.

Alpha One stumbled along the shoreline for over forty-five minutes. All the while his various functions slowly shutdown. This was a vain attempt by his diagnostic program to sustain his life by conserving power. By the time he collapsed flat on his back, his senses had dimmed to the point where he could barely see, hear or feel anything. Just when things seemed there bleakest he was saved.

The three Weird Sisters had been out walking on the beach when they happened upon the strange man of metal. As guardians of Avalon most of their days were rather boring. The discovery of this strange creature provided them with some unusual excitement. They had never seen any type of robot before and after a short debate decided he'd make a nice pet, but first they'd need to fix him. Using their collective power they replaced his broken energy crystals with powerful magical minerals native only to Avalon. Seeing how Avalon itself was in a matter of speaking concentrated magic this infusion made Alpha One not only the first magic wielding artificial life form, but also as powerful as the greatest of human spell casters. While his powers were impressive they still paled in comparison to those of his benefactors.

Over the next eight years the Weird Sisters taught Alpha One everything he needed to use his new powers. They also told him everything they knew about Avalon and the nature of the multiverse in general. The four shared a deep resentment of humans, gargoyles and all 'lesser beings' who they loathed. The four lived an idyllic existence until the fateful day the human/gargoyle group arrived on Avalon and bested them in battle. Licking their wounds the four fled to the far side of the Island.

The three owls, the Weird Sisters had been turned into by their wayward spell, gently sat the statute of Alpha One down. Though still trapped in owl form the three were furious. They had been defeated in magical battle by a human and a gargoyle oh the indignity of it all! Suddenly a brown haired man in a dark blue pinstriped business suit appeared before them in a blast of flame and lightning. The man had a mirror with him, a thick spell book, a small blue gem, a large emerald and a small shield with some type of bird on it.

"Hello ladies" said Ulysses Quintone, with a flick of his wrist restoring the Weird Sister and Alpha One to their natural states.

"We have had enough human trickery for one day stranger!" warned the Weird Sisters speaking in unison.

"That shouldn't be a problem, I'm not human I just play one of TV" said Ulysses Quintone with a wicked grin. "Here lad these are for you, enjoy." He then handed the four objects to the restored Alpha One who tentatively took them.

The moment the items were in Alpha One's possession Ulysses Quintone held onto his hands and chanted several verses in an unknown language. The second Ulysses Quintone utter the final syllable the sky became pitch black, a massive clap of thunder exploded overhead followed by a blinding flash of multicolored light that took several seconds to subside. Even the Weird Sister had to shield their magical eyes due to the intensity of the phenomenon. When the light finally dissipated Alpha One said.

"Yes I see, it is clear now I am the alpha and the omega the beginning and the end. I am the phoenix I create myself"

"You know what must be done?" asked Ulysses Quintone.

"Of course I now possess your memories in addition to the powers of the artifacts. It shouldn't be difficult at all, it wasn't for you after all" said Alpha One turning into the hooded form of the Grand Censor for the first time, before vanishing in a ball of fire and electricity.

"What is going on here?" the Weird Sisters asked Ulysses Quintone, more than a little annoyed.

"Meet me back here in forty-two years local time dilatation, and you'll find out. Plus I will guarantee you vengeance upon those who so greatly disgraced us, see you then ladies" said Ulysses Quintone, gripping the side of the mirror before he and it vanished in familiar fashion.

The far side of Avalon forty-two years later local time dilation

The three Weird Sisters stood impatiently in front of the monumental structure of metal and electronics that was the Technodrome. Everywhere around them foot soldiers, shiny black & green lined rock warriors and steel dragon troops were scurrying about performing various tasks. Suddenly Ulysses Quintone appeared in his usual ball of lightning & flame.

"Did you miss me girls?" he asked, a wide grin plastered on his face.

"We see you are still as arrogant as ever" said Luna.

"What can I say, I learned from three of the best" said Ulysses Quintone with a wink.

"When will we have our vengeance against those who have disgraced us?" Phoebe demanded.

"By tomorrow night darkness will fall across Avalon, Earth and beyond. Only those like us will continue" said Ulysses Quintone his smile growing. "All others will be no more."

"Good, Avalon will once again belong to us" said Seline, clasping her hands together.

"First Avalon ladies, then everything beyond!" laughed Ulysses Quintone.

"Now tell us who you really are?" commanded the Weird Sisters in unison.

"Haven't you guessed?" asked Ulysses Quintone with a frustrated sigh. "Alright, I'll make this simple. I'm your bouncing baby boy. I am Alpha One" in a flash the guise of Ulysses Quintone was dropped and Alpha One stood before the Weird Sisters.

"Why have you brought these, things to our home?" asked Phoebe, gesturing towards the various robots that where milling about.

"These things are soldiers in our battle against the usurpers and their allies. We will need them if we are to expel the unwanted elements from this Island" said Alpha One.

"What about this, monstrosity?" said Luna, gesturing towards the Technodrome. "What purpose could it possibly serve us?"

"What we have dreamed of for years now the cleansing of the multiverse, the annihilation of all inferior life" Alpha One stated proudly. Four foot soldiers then dropped a very large sack between the Weird Sisters and Alpha One. "First let me show you what I picked up during my travels."

"What is that?" asked Seline, pointing at the sack.

"Insurance" said Alpha One, magically opening the sack with a wave of his hand. Inside were two bound and gagged gargoyles. One was a Gray Male the other a Brown Female.

To Be Continued


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimers

All characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All characters appearing in Teenage Mutant 1987 series copyright by Murakami Wolf Swenson, Inc. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All original characters are the property of Celgress.

TMNT/Gargoyles Season Two Avalon and Beyond Episode Three: Choices & Consequences

By

Celgress

"Two simple rules the devil hands us. Make your mistakes, but no second chances."

Deadly Game (1998) Theory of a Deadman

Avalon now

The small raft ferrying Leonardo, Venus, Donatello, Goliath, Elisa and their guide Tom emerged from the fog. A shoreline slowly came into view. There standing on the beach were several figures. Drawing closer it became apparent that the figures were not human. Rather they were four young gargoyles, a male and two females and a gargoyle beast. The moment the six travelers disembarked the group waiting onshore introduced themselves.

"I am Gabriel leader of the Avalon Clan" said the blonde haired, blue skinned male with two prominent horns who was almost as large as Goliath. "This is my second Angela" he said indicating the black haired, lavender female gargoyle to his right. "And this is my third Ophelia" he said this time indicating the red haired, aqua-marine colored female gargoyle with a shield shaped forehead to his left, and pointing at the gargoyle beast. "Our beast here is named Boudicca. You must be the fabled Goliath?" finished Gabriel grasping Goliath's arm in friendship. "Our mother has told us much about you."

"Your mother?" asked Goliath.

"Yes our Rookery Mother Nightingale has told us many stories about the might Goliath leader of Clan Wyvern" said Ophelia.

"She told us nothing was impossible for the great Goliath. The tales of your bravery, honesty and renowned were the stories we were raised on" said Angela. "You are a legend here on Avalon. If anyone can save us from the forces that threaten our home it is you."

"Yes Goliath do save the dears from 'the forces that threaten them'" said a mocking male voice. The group turned their attention towards the direction from which the voice originated. There sitting near the treeline on a large piece of driftwood was Ulysses Quintone clapping his hands together in feint applause.

"You" roared Goliath, approaching Ulysses Quintone.

"Me" said Ulysses Quintone with a small smile.

"How did you get here?" asked Leonardo, coming up alongside Goliath.

"The same way you did of course" said Ulysses Quintone.

Before anyone could stop him the enraged Goliath ran up and punched Ulysses Quintone square in the face with his full force. To the astonishment of everyone, most of all Goliath himself, nothing happened. Ulysses Quintone just stayed seated, his form not budging a single inch. Goliath threw several more punches which had equally negligible effect on the man. Intercepting Goliath's final punch the still smiling Ulysses Quintone, held the mighty Goliath in check within so much as a twitch of his own wrist. Ulysses Quintone then flitches Goliath in the chest with his free hand, while releasing the grip of this other hand, the impact of the flitch sent Goliath spiraling back several feet. Once everyone had recovered from the shock of the entire incident, Leonard spoke.

"What are you?'

"The harbinger of a better tomorrow" said Ulysses Quintone, remaining seated.

"You" gasped Venus, recalling her terrifying Thanksgiving dream. "I know your voice, you were in my dream."

"Guilty as charged" said Ulysses Quintone.

Goliath, now fully recovered from his earlier humiliation once again approached Ulysses Quintone. This time Goliath's eyes shone a blazing white. "On step further Mr. Cranky and your friends here die, painfully. You've already witness a very small demonstration of the power I wield. You know I can more than fulfil my promise" boasted Ulysses Quintone. Goliath stopped his advance, a growl emitted from deep in his throat.

"Are you still working for Shredder & Krang, did they put you up to this?" asked Elisa.

"I am my own master, now and forever" replied Ulysses Quintone.

"What exactly do you want?" asked Goliath, his voice rumbling deep in his chest.

"He knows" said Ulysses Quintone, pointing at Tom. "Don't you Tommy Boy?"

"He wants us to leave the Avalon, forever" said Tom.

"Bingo" said Ulysses Quintone.

"We explained to him we have nowhere else to go, but he was unmoved by our pleas" continued Tom.

"Just like last time" said Ulysses Quintone, getting up from his seat.

"Excuse me?" said Tom.

"Just like the last time your people pleaded with mine" said Ulysses Quintone.

"None of us ever saw you before last night" said Tom, his voice strong with certainty, the three young gargoyles nodding their heads in agreement.

"Perhaps this will jog your memory Tommy Boy" said Ulysses Quintone reverting to his true, Alpha One, form before the startled onlookers.

"I remember you, the Man of Metal!" shouted Tom.

"Alpha One!" yelled Leonardo & Donatello.

"But we banished you to another dimension, how'd you get here?" stammered Donatello.

"Luck of the draw" said Alpha One. "I had to end up somewhere in the Multiverse after all, what better place than Avalon."

"What exactly do you want Alpha One?" said Leonardo, his eyes narrowing.

"First and foremost what these miserable creatures stole from me and mine, our home" said Alpha One, pointing a finger at Tom and the young gargoyles accusingly. "We want it back."

"We will share this Island with you" offered Tom, extending his hand in friendship, "If you will only cease your attacks upon us."

"Not good enough" said Alpha One, slapping Tom's hand away. "We will not share our inner sanctum with inferior, biological life forms!"

"Still the bigot I see" said Donatello. "Just the same old, hate filled Alpha One you always were."

"Correction Donatello I'm more than that" said Alpha One ominously. "Thanks, in part to my benefactors, the Sisters I have been infused with the mystic energies of Avalon itself. When I first landed here my primary power cell was critically damaged. The Sisters replaced it with a new one powered by the exotic elements fund here on Avalon. The energies derived from the crystals made me one of the strongest mortal magic users ever."

"Wait robots can't use magic, they have no life force" said Goliath, with authority.

"'He who should not be yet is'" whispered Venus. "I now understand these 'Sisters' they made you into this unnatural abomination we see before us."

"Only in part" said Alpha One. "They laid the groundwork, while I built the penthouse. I gathered several of the most powerful artifacts in creation and added their energies, and the special spells that went along with them, to my own."

"How though?" interrupted Tom. "Only Oberon's own magic may enter Avalon."

"Need I remind you I am now powered by the very stones of this place" said Alpha one, continuing his explanation. "I and the heart of Avalon are forever linked. Any other magical powers I my acquirer are shielded by that link. As long as they remain part of my overall energy matrix they are exempted from any such prohibitions, in short they go where I go. See nearly all rules have a loophole, evident only if one looks hard enough. Duty calls, you have until mid-night tomorrow. If you have not left my Island by then, suffer the consequences tout a l'heure." Alpha One vanishing in a blast of flame and lightning.

The former home of Chung I outside Shanghai China early November 1994

The Peddler stood in front of the imposing door for over fifteen minutes before he decided Chung I must not be at home. The Peddler could think of nobody in the neighborhood other than the Shinobi Grandmaster who might be interested in the accident vial that had recently come into his possession, being left with no other choice the Peddler reluctantly left the monetary like building. By early January of 1995 the ancient vial had found its' way into a high price auction in Beijing. The man who bought it was a collector of antiquities and a powerful business.

"Excuse me sir" said Ulysses Quintone approaching the successful bidder following the end of the auction. "My name is Ulysses Quintone and I believe you have something that belongs to me."

"I won this item fair and square as you Americans say" said the indignant Businessman.

"I'll give you double what you paid for it" offered Ulysses Quintone.

"No" said the Businessman firmly, walking out of the building and hailing a cab Ulysses Quintone following close behind.

"I'll give you three times what you paid"

"The answer is still no. It is not for sale, at any price!"

"Fine have it your way" said Ulysses Quintone pushing the Businessman into the oncoming traffic while grabbing the falling vial with his other hand. In a moment the Businessman lay dead on the pavement and Ulysses Quintone was nowhere to be found.

The Technodrome mid-September 1993

"Hey isn't that Krang's holographic cloaking device?" Donatello asked Michelangelo, as the two recovered from a nasty toss delivered by the Shredder.

"Yeah" said Michelangelo groggily.

"I'm about to be brilliant again, c'mon" said Donatello motioning Michelangelo to follow.

Over the course of the next few minutes Donatello holographically disguised himself as Krang in a bubble walker while Leonardo and Raphael distracted Shredder. Then he and Michelangelo, rigged up the transdimensional portal to be operated by remote control, programmed the portal to randomize the dimension to which it would open and placed a large improvised explosive device by the portal generators. Finally the two Turtles barely escaped the Technodrome slipping by General Tragg almost without incident on their way out the front door.

Alpha One, in his Ulysses Quintone guise, then appeared in the Portal Room. Using his magical energies he both overrode the scrambled coordinates Donatello had programed into the portal and froze the detonation sequence of the powerful explosive device sitting nearby. With a mighty lurch, followed by a tremendous crash the Technodrome came to rest on the far side of Avalon after passing through the super-sized dimensional portal. Disengaging his energy streams from the portal control mechanism, while being sure to keep the explosive device inactive Alpha One reverted into his true form just in time for a confrontation with General Tragg who came running around the corner at that very instant.

"Who are you? Some sort of supped up foot solider" asked General Tragg.

"No that was a nice landing. No thanks for saving us from being blown up" said Alpha One, pointing towards the explosive device and shaking his large head. "Shame on you General, I really expected better treatment from you. I guess it is true what they say, never meet your heroes in person you'll only be disappointed. I will make this simple, join me or be destroyed. The choice is your own."

"Troops destroy this usurper" commanded General Tragg, the Rock Soldiers taking aim at Alpha One.

"Wrong answer fool" said Alpha One the heavy barrage of laser fire having no effect on him. Alpha One moved forward against the tide of laser beams. Once he was directly in front of General Tragg he placed his now red hot hand upon Tragg's face. In a matter of moments Tragg's rock body turned into a molten sludge which oozed all over the floor. "Anyone else object?" The terrified Rock Soldiers quickly swore their allegiance to Alpha One.

"Very well than, receive this upgrade as me gift" said Alpha One with outstretched arms, as he slowly ascended above them. Alpha One chanted a few verses in an unknown language. Several blinding flashes of light enveloped first Alpha One, then the Portal Room and finally the entire Technodrome. This was followed by several rounds of agonized screams from the Rock Soldiers. When the fury of sound and sight had subsided it was clear that the Rock Soldiers had been transformed into androids. Each now had solid neon red eyes, a shiny black onyx like skin the contours of which were outlined in neon green lines.

"You have been granted the blessing of artificiality my new followers. Through it I have elevated you above the petty concerns of the flesh. No longer will you be slaves of emotion. Instead you will find your minds unclouded. Your existence vindicated by clarity of purpose. You are now members of the elite. Chosen by me to usher in the new order, our mission is a divine one. It is nothing less than the total reordering of creation!" With a wave of his hand Alpha One summoned the Dragon's mirror from outside where he had left it just before heading off to retrieve the Technodrome.

"Met our final group of recruits" said Alpha One, placing his glowing hand upon the mirror. Within an instant of his energized touch the Dragon's Mirror exploded, frame and all, into a million pieces. From those pieces eerie green energy flowed into Alpha One. Occupying the space where the Dragon's Mirror had previously been were a couple hundred confused Dragon Warriors. The red capped Dragon Lord approached Alpha One on his shoulder his annoying little minion Wick chatted incessantly.

"What is the meaning of this?" bellowed the Dragon Lord

"Bow down before me or be destroyed!" commanded Alpha One.

"Never!" cried the Dragon Lord drawing his sword.

Alpha One placed his glowing hand upon the Dragon's Lord chest freezing the Dragon Lord in place, "as you wish your Highness". The Dragon Lord, and Wick, then turned to stone and slowly crumbled before the astonished gazes of the Dragon Warriors. "What a pathetic display, I was honestly expecting more from the 'legendary' Dragon Lord or well live and learn I guess."

"Join me or suffer a similar fact" said Alpha One, looking at the Dragon Warriors who quickly voiced their willingness to join his cause. In short order Alpha One repeated the same process he had used on the Rock Soldiers, followed by a similar speech. The Dragon Warrior were now steel dragon robots with solid red neon eyes. Surveying his new army of Foot Soldiers, Robotic Rock Soldiers and Dragon Warriors along with his Technodrome Alpha One thought not bad for a day's work. Not bad at all.

Near Castle Wyvern the evening of October 1st, 994 C.E

"Here" said the Grand Censor, from where he was perched on the Gray Male Gargoyle's back. "Land right here, I think I see something of interest." Following the Grand Censor's directions the Gray Male, followed by his companion & mate the Brown Female landed on the small hill.

"I do not see anything. Could you be mistaken…." The Gray Male began when the Grand Censor zapped the Gray Male between the shoulder blades with a bolt of lightning that sprang from his fingertips. The Grand Censor hopped off the now limp body of the Gray Male before it hit the ground.

"My love!" screamed the Brown Female, running to where the Gray Male lay unconscious. Before the Brown Female could overcome her shock the Grand Censor touched the tip of one of her wings delivering another massive jolt of electricity. The Brown Female slumped unconscious next to her mate.

"No challenge whatsoever" laughed the Grand Censor. Taking his seat atop the two prone gargoyles he and they vanished in a flash of fire and light.

The far side of Avalon now

"Sorry I had to go ladies" said Alpha One, reappearing in his usual fashion. "Some new arrivals required my attention."

"Why are you allowing even more inferior beings to set foot on Avalon?" asked Phoebe, annoyance evident in her voice. "You even bring them here yourself now" She said, pointing towards both the two bounded & gagged gargoyles at her feet and Alpha One's robotic minions that were still scurrying about.

"Because I need them" Alpha One answered dismissively.

"We should simply destroy the interlopers and be done with it. We have no grudge with those who live beyond the borders of this land. Furthermore we are not cold blooded murders, mad dogs that strike without provocation" said Seline.

"Yes" agreed Luna. "We have no interest in destroying the inferior beings that exist beyond Avalon. We only seek justice, not genocide."

"What if I destroy the ones here and more from outside simply replace them, hmmm?" asked Alpha One.

"Then we shall handle them too" answer Luna.

"Just like you 'handled' this current group" said Alpha One. "Don't make me laugh."

"How quickly you forget your place machine" said Luna. "Sisters I feel it is time we teach this insolent young pup a lesson."

"We agree Sister" said Seline & Phoebe.

"I must warn you three even collectively you are no longer my superiors. I now have powers in excess of even your own" Alpha One gloated. "If you challenge me, I will destroy you."

This was the final straw as far as the Weird Sisters were concerned. The three of them attacked Alpha One with full force. The battle however, if you could really call it that, was over in a matter of minutes. Alpha One had not been exaggerating when he told the Sisters his new powers were greater than their own. Once Alpha One had subordinated and then neutralized the Sisters' magical energies to his own he order a group of Robotic Dragon Warriors to bring him sharped iron rods he had made them fashion from spare metal found in the Technodrome earlier that day.

"Thank you ladies for sharing the details of your weaknesses with me as well as your strengths" said Alpha One holding a sharpened iron rod overhead before plunging it through Phoebe's chest pinning her to the ground. He did the same to both Seline & Luna. Each Weird Sister convulsed, ribbons of energy seeping from their bodies into the earth. With a final shuddered their bodies crumbled into dust. "Goodbye ladies, in your hearts I'm sure you knew this day would come. The new eventually replaces the old it is the way of things."

"Now where was I" Alpha One mused aloud. Ah yes, whatever will I do with you?" Alpha One looked down at the mortified pair of gargoyles at his feet. "Hmmmm, I know bring me the bomb Donatello was nice enough to provide me with when he attempted to destroy the dimensional portal generators of the Technodrome" Alpha One order. Two Robotic Dragon Warriors soon retrieved bulky device passing it to their master. "Now we have fun my friends"

To Be Continued


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimers

All characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All characters appearing in Teenage Mutant 1987 series copyright by Murakami Wolf Swenson, Inc. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All original characters are the property of Celgress.

TMNT/Gargoyles Season Two Avalon and Beyond Episode Four: Reunion

By

Celgress

"I must honor a debt that can never be repaid."

The Caretaker

Star Trek Voyager – Caretaker Part I, January 1995

Avalon one hundred-sixty years ago local time dilation

The young Minoan couple stumbled along the beach. Their vessel had only been a day out of Knossos when the storm had struck. The entire crew had gone down with the ship, they were the only survivors. The Sun was rapidly slipping beneath the eastern horizon as they entered the forest. The sky clouded over. Fat raindrops began to fall between the leaves.

"We must find settler before the storm strikes" said the Young Man, frantically dragging the Young Woman through the forest behind him.

"My love" panted the Young Woman, her distended belly heavy with child. "Leave me behind. I will only slow you down. I do not know how much further I can go."

"Never" retorted the Young Man, "I would rather die than abandon you and our child to be."

The couple continued deeper into the forest. The heavens burst and rain drenched them. Onward they continued, onward and upward, the ground beneath their feet slowly rising. On their left they passed a small waterfall made by the rapid decent a mountain stream. Up ahead the couple spotted a light emitting from the mouth of a small cave located in the hill side. Cautiously the couple approached the opening yes it was indeed a small cave. Making their way inside the couple soon discovered a fire tended by an elderly, gray haired, bearded man.

"Come in, come in" said the Elderly Bearded Man, spying the couple crouched in the entrance of the cave. "What a dreadful night, please make yourself at home." The couple hesitantly entered the cave and joined the stranger around the fire. The Elderly Bearded Man offered the couple a bowl of fruit.

The couple hadn't been seated long when the Young Woman started groaning. The Young Man turned to her a look of concern evident on his face. "The baby" she said. "It is time!"

Over the next two hours the Young Man and the Elderly Bearded Man deliver the Young Woman's babies. There were three in all, triplets, all girls. Once the final baby had been delivered the Young Man turned to the Elderly Bearded Man.

"Thank you for helping us. I do not know what we have done without you. I…." The Young Man never finished his sentence. The Elderly Bearded Man viciously and repeatedly plunged a bronze dagger into the chest of the Young Man. The lifeless body of the Young Man fell to the floor of the cave.

"Why?" coughed the Young Woman weakly. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I need them" replied the Elderly Bearded Man nearly decapitating the defenseless Young Woman with a single horizontal stroke of his bronze dagger. Wiping the blood and gore from his blade the Elderly Bearded Man smiled before reverting to his true form of Alpha One. "The Great Circle is at last complete. My final destiny awaits" Alpha One, along with the triplets, vanished with a blast of flame & light.

The next morning Queen Titania discovered the three newborns wrapped in three blankets, white, black & gold, on the doorstep of her Citadel. After a heated debate with her lord and husband Oberon it was decided that the three newborns should be made powerful halflings, using in part the power of Avalon itself, and raised as members of the third race. Queen Titania named them Luna, Seline and Phoebe. Over the years their collective power would become great indeed. Their purpose would be to protect Avalon where they were born, the land which had changed their destiny forever. Their fate and the fate of the Island eternally intertwined.

The Court of King Kenneth Scotland early October 994 C.E.

"See your Highness I have two functions" said The Grand Censor. "To protect the good and to destroy the evil" In each hand the Grand Censor held an egg, one from a chicken the other from a duck, at the conclusion of his speech he crushed them both.

"Fascinating" said King Kenneth of the spectacle before him. "Though my dear man you destroyed both eggs."

"More often than not those who at first glance seem good are in fact evil" said the Grand Censor offering the contents of the crushed eggs up for inspection by the King and his Court. Sure enough upon sniffing the remains it became abundantly clear both eggs were rotten.

"What say you my son?" King Kenneth asked his son Maol Chalvim, who was seated to his right.

The young man sneered at his father. "I think the entire thing is a load of hogwash. I do not understand why you invited this, man into our fine Court father. He does nothing more than play on the people's fear of superstitious nonsense."

"My son the Grand Censor carries with him the Papal Seal in recent decades he has done great work tramping out the seeds of heresy on the continent" said King Kenneth, taken aback by the vehemence of Maol Chalvim's reaction. "Grand Censor please excuse the impetuousness of my son he is still young and does not fully understand the importance of you and men like you in maintaining the orderliness of our religion" finished King Kenneth turning his attention back towards the Grand Censor.

"I for one my lord thought the Grand Censor's demonstration most, enlightening" said the blond haired Lady Finella who was seated to the left of King Kenneth.

"I am honored my lady" said the Grand Censor bowing low.

Just then a guard entered the Court Room and told King Kenneth that the party of his niece Princess Katherine of Wyvern Castle had just arrived. Furthermore Princess Katherine was requesting an immediate private audience with her uncle the King. She had told the gate guards that the matter was most urgent, and couldn't wait until tomorrow morning. King Kenneth and his son Prince Maol Chalvim departed at once for the courtyard where Princess Katherine awaited them.

"Oh Uncle Kenneth cousin Maol Chalvim Something terrible has happened!" said Princess Katherine throwing herself into the arms of King Kenneth the moment she saw him.

"There, there my dear you are safe here with us" said King Kenneth embracing his niece, while surveying the other members of her entourage. The first thing he noted was how small it was, comprised of only three people besides Katherine herself. He recognized her magician the Magus, there was also a peasant woman and boy and a single female gargoyle who looked extremely uncomfortable. "Katherine my dear where are all your troops and the rest of your gargoyles auxiliaries? It is not safe to travel through the countryside with so little protection."

"They are dead Uncle Kenneth" Katherine sobbed into her Uncle's shoulder.

"Who is dead?"

"The Vikings attacked the Castle in the day while the gargoyles slept. The Captain of the Guards betrayed us, he let the Vikings in. They, they sacked the Castle, massacred the sleeping gargoyles and did the same to my human troops. We barely escaped with our lives. Only the four of us, and the gargoyle eggs, survived it was horrible Uncle."

"By the saints that such a terrible thing could happen" exclaimed King Kenneth.

"Where are these murdering Viking scoundrels now?" demanded Maol Chalvim, his eyes full of fire. "I will make sure they pay blood for blood."

"They are dead" said the Second, stepping forward and speaking for the first time. "Though they perished in the attempt my Clan Leader, my mate, he and a small group of survivors destroyed most of cowards while rescuing the Princess and the others" She gestured towards the three other human refugees.

"Aye if not for them I have no doubt the Vikings would have killed us all" said Princess Katherine. The Magus and the two peasants nodded in agreement.

"Than we, I, owe you a great debt noble gargoyle" said King Kenneth breaking his embrace with his niece and turning his attention to the lone gargoyle. "Anything at all you desire, be it within my power, name it and it shall by yours."

"My Clan, my entire family is gone. All I have left are the eggs of my Clan, my children" said the Second solemnly. "Alone I can offer them no future. The only thing I desire is a safe place to raise my children. Their birth is all I now live for, they are all I have."

"Look no further" said King Kenneth, taking the Second's hands in his own. "For saving the life of my dear niece and the others, as long as I reign you and your family will be safe and welcomed here."

"I, as the King's son and heir, make you the same oath to you are your children" said Maol Chalvim.

The Second was at a loss for words. It was the first time humans had ever treated her with such kindness. Perhaps things would be better here. Certainly they couldn't get any worse she thought.

Avalon now

The group of Leonardo, Donatello, Venus, Goliath & Elisa accompanied by Tom, Gabriel, Angela, Ophelia & Boudicca passed through the thick forest that dominated much of the interior of Avalon. The ten were in a somber, dejected mood following their confrontation with Alpha One. Their journey into the interior passed in silence. After journey for over an hour they reached a clearing. Following a dirt road they found there fifteen minutes later they were at the foot of a hill. The clearing in which the hill was located was surrounded by apple, pear & plum trees. Looming up before them was a huge stone citadel. It stood proudly atop the hill. Several young gargoyles circled the Citadel while several others stood on the battlements. The young gargoyles standing guard at the gate became excited when Gabriel & Tom introduced the newcomers soon the group was inside the impressive structure. Goliath soon found himself looking at two familiar faces.

"It has been a long time Goliath" said the aged Magus, grasping Goliath's the hand. "We are pleased Tom found you. We need all the help we can get in this our hour of dire need."

"We know" said Leonardo. "We had the pleasure of meeting your tormentor when we first arrived here."

"He is a, most unpleasant creature" said the Magus. "And you are?"

"I am Leonardo, these are Donatello and Venus we are the young disciples of your friend Hamato Yoshi" said Leonardo.

"Ah yes it must be sometime since Yoshi graced our presence. You must remember that from our prospective it was only a year ago. Time flows much slower here on Avalon" explained the Magus. "For each hour spent on Avalon an entire day goes by in the outside World."

"I am Princess Katherine. Pardon my brashness, however I must know. What manner of creatures are ye?" asked Princess Katherine, eyeing the trio of Turtles.

"We are mutants Princess" said Donatello.

"What is a mutant?" said Princess Katherine.

"A mutant is an organism that has undergone an aberrant genetic change" said Donatello.

"In essence a spell cast by an evil wizard called the Shredder made us this way by turning us into human turtles" said Venus, stepping in before Donatello's techno-babble could further confuse the medieval people. "The same spell turned our master Hamato Yoshi into a human rat."

"This same Shredder changed my friend Elisa" said Goliath, gesturing toward the brown female gargoyle at his side, "From a human into a gargoyle."

"Ah this Shredder must be a truly wicked wizard to have done all this" said the Magus thoughtfully. "I only wish I could have faced this menace in my prime. I would have taught him a thing or two."

"Little doubt you would have" said a new figure entering the grand hall.

"Mother!" said the three young gargoyles excitedly. Gabriel, Angela & Ophelia ran up to embrace the new arrival.

"We brought Goliath and his allies back as you asked" said Gabriel, he and the two females releasing their embrace after the middle aged female had given each a loving pat on the head.

"You three have done well. I knew I could count on you" said Nightingale turning her attention towards Goliath, their eyes meeting for the first time in a thousand years. "Hello Goliath"

"By the Dragon it is you, my Angle of the Night, but how is this even possible?" said Goliath in utter bafflement. "I saw your remains. I held them in my hands. You died along with the others during the Massacre at Castle Wyvern."

"No my love I did not" said Nightingale stepping forward and placing her hand on Goliath's cheek. "I escaped to the beach below the Castle just as the Sun rose. That night I witnessed you weeping over what you thought were my remains."

"Why did you not come to me?" asked Goliath, taking her hand in his.

"Because of shame, I was the one who made a deal with the Captain of the Guards to betray the human inhabitants of the Castle. The Captain promised he would protect us while we slept. I thought I was doing the right thing. I couldn't have been more wrong. At the time I saw you weeping over my 'death' I had not yet come to terms with the horrible nature of my actions. When I returned later that night you and the others had already been cursed by the Magus. Being alone, with no options left, I accompanied Princess Katherine and the others to King Kenneth's Castle. Sadly within months of our arrival the vile Constantine with the help of that monster the Grand Censor usurped the throne. Katherine protected me and our eggs from their wrath until we could escape here to Avalon and safety" explained Nightingale.

"I hate to cut this reunion short" said Leonardo. "However we need a plan, and a good one, if we are going to both save your home and successfully deal with Alpha One."

"Alpha One, so that is what the Man of Metal is called" said the Magus, looking towards the three Turtles. "So, I take it you three have dealt with him before?"

"Yes, two of us have" said Leonardo, indicating himself and Donatello. "Even though we defeated him once before that was years ago, and he did have magical powers then none at all."

"He said the 'Sisters' made him the way he is today" said Venus. "That they gave him his first set of magical abilities by replacing his broken power cell with power magical minerals from right here on Avalon. He told us at his core he and the Island are now 'forever linked'."

"Ah" the Magus sighed loudly, shaking his head. "It is worse than I ever dared fear. If this thing is linked to the energy that makes up Avalon itself we will be unable to harm little own stop him, even by conventional magical means."

"Is there nothing we can do?" asked Venus.

"There may be a way" replied the Magus, after much thought. "If we could tap into the magic of Avalon, we could appeal to the spirit of the Island itself. If we are very lucky the Spirit of Avalon might consent to taking back the power it has shared with this being, this Alpha One. Of course this is all only conjecture on my part: though it would certainly take far more powerful and skilled a magic user than me to do it even if communing with the Spirit of Avalon is possible."

"I am willing to try" said Venus, stepping forward. "I am trained in the magical arts. I will help you anyway I can in this endeavor sir."

"Be warned this is not to be taken lightly" lectured the Magus. "Any attempt to commune with the Spirit of Avalon may, nay will likely, cost the magic user their sanity if not their very life."

"I understand, still I pledge myself to the attempt" reiterated Venus, her resolve unshaken by the Magus' words.

"No, Venus" said Leonardo shaking his head. "Don't do this. What about our friends, our family? Have you considered how your loss would affect them? What about, us?"

"I'm sorry Leonardo, I must do this" said Venus, her expression one of regret. Leonardo stormed out of the room, Donatello was about to follow when Venus mouthed 'don't' and followed after Leonardo herself instead.

"Alpha One has given us until mid-night tomorrow night. If we do not leave the Island he says he will destroy us" stated Tom. "Whatever plan we come up with we must implement it before that time."

Outside Leonardo stood by himself on one of the battlements of the Citadel. He watched as several young gargoyles flew around the structure, playing as much as patrolling. Absentmindedly he wondered what his life would be like if he and his brothers had grown up in a place like Avalon rather than NYC? Would their lives be better or worse? Watching the frolicking young gargoyles Leonardo thought one thing would be certain, their lives would be much more peaceful. They likely never would have met Shredder & Krang, or April, Casey and so many others. No doubt Venus would have grown up with the rest of them. They would have shared their lives from the very beginging….. Venus. What if he loses her, so soon after they found each other? Could his heart stand the pain?

"Leonardo" said Venus approaching his position on the battlements. "Can we talk?"

"Why bother, I thought your mind was made up" said Leonardo bitterly, refusing to even look at Venus.

"Leonardo you know I wouldn't enter into such a life threatening decision lightly. All I ask is that you trust my judgment" said Venus, placing her hand on Leonardo's shoulder.

"Trust you judgment you say. How can I do that after what the Magus said?" Leonardo ranted. "I do not want you to die Venus!"

"Nor do I want to die Leonardo" said Venus, the two now facing each other. "However I must do this. There is no other way, trust me I know."

"Once again how do you know?" demanded Leonardo. "If you are going to throw you entire future, scratch make that our entire future together away I deserve to know the reason why. The real reason."

"Leonardo, do you remember the nightmare I had Thanksgiving night?" Venus asked.

"Yes, you said it was no big deal" said Leonardo confused.

"I lied, because it was so horrible. I didn't want to trouble you or the others with the contents of it. In my nightmare everyone died, you, me, our family, our allies, our friends everyone. What is more he was in it, Alpha One he did it he killed not just us but everything, everywhere. If I help the Magus attempt to stop Alpha One there is at least a chance this will not happen, if I do nothing I am certain we will all perish" explained Venus, holding Leonardo's hands the entire time she did so.

"My God on the beach, that is what you and Alpha One were talking about."

"So you understand now why I must do this?"

"I do, though I still don't like it but I won't stand in your way either. Like Michelangelo always says 'a turtle has to do what a turtle has to do'."

Later that night Venus was still out star gazing on the battlements when Elisa came up beside her, the female gargoyle appeared troubled by something. Several moments passed between the two in silence. Both mutant and gargoyle concentrating on the glory of the heavens above not on each other, finally Elisa broke the silence.

"I've always found the night sky beautiful. At first being able to see it as much as I wanted was one of the best things about being transformed into a gargoyle."

"Yes it is a glorious sight. Growing up in rural China Chung I often took me stargazing at night. It was one of the few activities we could do where my unique appearance wouldn't be an issue: my looks being concealed by the darkness of the night. Is everything alright Elisa? You seem troubled" asked Venus.

"Goliath doesn't love me, at least not the way he loves Nightingale" Elisa blurted out. "I can see it in his eyes, the way they look at each other. What do you think Venus?"

"Hmmmm, the situation is most complicated" said Venus. "Goliath's and Nightingale's relationship never resolved itself properly. Each has thought the other dead for some time. My advice is allow them the space and time to resolve their feelings on their own."

"What if they reunite and I lose him forever? They share children after all" said Elisa.

"Then it was never meant to be" said Venus. "Elisa what do you want most for Goliath, not you and he just for Goliath himself?"

"Happiness" Elisa answered without a moment of hesitation, a second later realization dawning upon her. "Venus you are wish beyond your years." The two friends then shared a hug.

The former Court of King Kenneth of Scotland June 995 C.E.

Princess Katherine felt dirty, numb, dead inside. She had thought the loss of her father was the worst thing that could ever happen to her. She had then thought the loss of Castle Wyvern and her friends was the worst thing that could ever happen to her. She was wrong. Her life, and those of the other Wyvern refuges, had become a living hell ever since, earlier that year, the Grand Censor had tried and executed her beloved Uncle King Kenneth on trumped up charges of heresy and witchcraft. During King Kenneth's trail the Magus had been stripped of the Grimorum Arcanorum and placed in the dungeon because he was said to be a tool of Satan. Following the murder of her uncle her cousin Prince Maol Chalvim had also be accused of heresy and had fled. At the time Princess Katherine had bravely decided to stay on, what a mistake that had turned out to be. The Grand Censor had used his Papal granted authority to select Constantine as the new king. Thus the nightmare had truly began for Princess Katherine and the others. Almost immediately Constantine had demanded Princess marry him or he'd kill her friends, including the unborn gargoyles. While she slept the Second was taken to the courtyard and restrained with many heavy chains which were placed around her arms, legs waits and neck. With her friends all in mortal danger Princess Katherine had no choice but to comply.

Princess Katherine now washed her hands in a trough in the court yard. Nearby the Second looked at her with pity. "What did the wretch do to you this time my friend?"

"He, he, oh dear friend it is to terrible I cannot say" said Princess Katherine getting up from the kneeling position by the trough and throwing her arms around the Second, her heavy sobs could be heard all over the court yard.

"Oh my dear friend he made me know him as a wife knows her husband. He threatened to break off your wings while you slept if I would not have him" sobbed Princess Katherine.

"That fiend, his day will come" said the Second. "If I were free now I'd kill him myself."

For most of the night the two held company. They talked long into the night, until the paint brush of the coming dawn turned the eastern sky glorious shades of orange, yellow and dusky pink.

"See that bird?" Princess Katherine asked the Second.

"Yes" said the Second, following the Princess' line of vision. There on a small branch near the Castle tower was perched a nightingale. The beautiful song of the small bird filled the courtyard. "Why do you ask?"

"It reminds me of you. It signs so beautifully it is like a little night angle. Every night I listen for the song. That is what Goliath called you, wasn't it? His 'Angle of the Night'?" said Princess Katherine with a sniff.

"Yes" said the Second, her voice barely a whisper.

"If, no, when we get out of here out of this horrid mess I think you should take the name Nightingale. It is a wonderful name, don't you think?" asked Princess Katherine, looking at the Second.

"It is a wonderful name my dear friend. If we ever escape, I will take it as my own. It will be a token of our friendship, the deep bond we share" said the Second smiling at the Princess who smiled back at her.

It took the little band of refuges two more months but they finally managed to escape the clutches of Constantine and the Grand Censor. With the help of Lady Finella who Constantine had scorned in favor of Princess Katherine, the group managed to drug Constantine and free themselves while the Grand Censor was away on other business. Using information found in the Grimorum Arcanorum the Magus took the group to Avalon, where they would forever remain beyond reach of their Earth bound enemies. After defeating the Weird Sisters and the Man of Metal the group entrusted the Grimorum Arcanorum to the care of Tom's mother Marry & Lady Finella. The book could not enter Avalon, being of a different magical nature. Even to try breaking the rule would invite disaster. Finally safe Princess Katherine, the Magus, the peasant boy Tom and the newly named Nightingale set about the business of raising the next generation of gargoyles.

Avalon now

"You have done an admirable job raising the children of our Clan. I am certain all our brothers and sisters would be most pleased if they could see the children today" said Goliath standing beside Nightingale. The two had finally gotten a few minutes alone together.

"It is the least I can do considering the fact it was me who took away their parents in the first place" said Nightingale. "It was my arrogance and hatred of humans that caused the tragedy that robbed our brothers & sisters of life. If not for my actions the children would have been raised in an actual gargoyle clan and known their elders."

"Fate has recently taught me several hard lessons first amongst them is that we cannot change the past. What is done is done, no matter how much we might wish otherwise" said Goliath. "We must look towards the future, not the past."

"And what of our future Goliath?" asked Nightingale. "What will you do where will you go if we defeat this Alpha One, if we survive this trail?"

"Most likely I will return to my own Clan in Manhattan, they are mostly young and need my guidance. My place is with them. It would be unfair of me to abandon them" said Goliath. "What of you Nightingale? What will you do when this is over?"

"I will remain here with my children. Much like your own they still need my guidance" answered Nightingale.

"It would appear that our lives must remain separate" said Goliath with a deep sigh.

"So it would appear" said Nightingale with a deep sigh of her own. "Tell me Goliath this Elisa do you love her?"

"Why would you ask me that?" said Goliath, a little taken aback by both the nature of the question and identity of the questioner.

"Because I see the way you look at her and she at you. It is clear to any who observes the two of you together that there is something there. Again, do you love her?" said Nightingale

"Yes" said Goliath simply.

"Does she love you?" continued Nightingale.

"Yes" said Goliath again.

"Good, at least I know you will not be alone in this Manhattan. I wish you both the greatest happiness possible"

"Wait our kind mates for life, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying Goliath I formally release you from our mate ship bond. You are free to choose another. Our love was special, but we have grown into two very different gargoyles, with two very separate lives since that time. Under the circumstances a continued mate ship between us would be both impractical and impossible."

"But you do not know how many times I prayed you were alive Nightingale."

"I think I do, because I often made the same prayer. I love you Goliath, part of me always will. My place however is here and your place is in this Manhattan you speak of. We must walk our separate paths, go in peace my love."

"Go in peace also my love."

The two embraced sharing one last passionate kiss, as tears ran down both of their faces from their closed eyes. Unbeknownst to either Elisa watched from the doorway, her eyes filling with tears of her own. Her tears however were of a very different sort. "Goodbye big guy, goodbye Goliath" she whispered to herself leaving the scene.

Near sunrise the gargoyles had all perched on the battlements awaiting the coming day. The three Turtles and the three humans were discussing what to do while the gargoyles slept. Out of nowhere six Foot Soldiers blinked into existence along with a device made up of several large, metal, canisters with several indicator leds attached. The startled gargoyles and turtles soon recovering their composure made short work of the Foot Soldiers. Donatello then bent down examining the device. A small note was attached to it. Removing the note careful he read what was written there.

"What does it say?" asked Leonardo curiously.

"It says 'checkmate you lose signed Alpha One PS Ka-Boom'." Donatello said reading the note aloud with puzzlement.

"What do you suppose that means?" wondered Tom aloud.

Noticing the sudden flashing of the indicators Donatello's eyes went wide with recognition. "Its' a bomb, its' a bomb a big old bomb everyone get out of here get out of here right now!" he yelled Gargoyles, turtles & humans scattered everywhere. Many jumped off the battlements in panic. A few seconds later the entire top third of the Citadel was engulfed in a massive explosion!

To Be Continued


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimers

All characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All characters appearing in Teenage Mutant 1987 series copyright by Murakami Wolf Swenson, Inc. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All original characters are the property of Celgress.

TMNT/Gargoyles Season Two Avalon and Beyond Episode Five: Darkness and Light

By

Celgress

'Death smiles at us all, all a man can do is smile back.'

Marcus Aurelius (121 – 180 C.E.)

"It cannot be seen. It cannot be felt. It cannot be heard. It cannot be smelt. It lies behind stars and under hills, and empty holes it fills. It comes first and follows after. Ends life kills laughter."

Gollum – The Hobbit (1937)

Slowly consciousness began to return to Goliath. After what felt like an eon of nothingness the first subtle stirrings of internal change were like a light blazing in the darkness. Within moments these ripples of perception had built one upon the other into a surge of renewed self-awareness. With a mighty roar Goliath broke free of his stone shell.

"Good you are awake we can began now" said Phoebe.

Goliath looked around wildly. He was surrounded by his kin and allies. The group were in a small clearing within the forest. They were arranged in a circular fashion around a campfire. Standing near the fire were three beautiful, statuesque women clothed in long flowing gowns of pale blue & white. The three were virtually identical, save their long flowing hair which was white, black & gold. The three possessed a timelessness about them, making it impossible to determine their true age.

"The Sister you have returned!" Nightingale gasped with recognition.

"We will defend ourselves if you are here to harm us!" said the Magus, brandishing his walking staff defiantly.

"We come in peace" said Seline, the three held up their hands in an act of submission.

"Why the sudden charge of heart?" asked Tom, "I thought you hated us?"

"We did, however our situation has recently undergone a drastic change" said Luna.

"Excuse me" said Donatello. "How did we get here, wherever here is? Last thing I remember is Alpha One's bomb detonating. We should all be dead, yet we are clearly not. What exactly happened?"

"We saved you from destruction" said the three in unison. "We brought all of you here using much of our remaining power."

"Why would you save us? We are your enemies" said Princess Katherine.

"What do you mean your 'remaining power'?" Venus asked, stepping towards the Weird Sisters.

"We saved you because we need your help" explained Seline. "Alpha One has become unmanageable. We clearly perceive now the error of our ways in taking him under our wing. We need you to do what we could not."

"Alpha One destroyed our physical bodies. After overcoming us with his superior magical abilities he slayed us with iron" continued Phoebe. "He will destroy everything, everywhere if he is not stopped this we have foreseen."

"If he killed you, how are you here at all now?" said Leonard, moving up beside Venus.

"The eternal aspect of our energy returned to Avalon from which it was first taken. Our spirits can exorcise some limited interaction with those on the Island until the Spirit of Avalon itself has chosen a new guardian or guardians to replace us. Upon our physical demise we three nominated all of you as candidates. Doing so has allowed Avalon to shield you from death and/or cripplingly physical harm at the hands of Alpha One. Until the new guardian or guardian is firmly in their new role you are shielded from his ultimate expressions of wrath" explained the Weird Sisters.

"If this is so how was Alpha One able to kill the three of you?" rumbled Goliath.

"Because he defeated us, once a guardian is picked they can be killed by him or any other powerful enough. Unlike us however you will be expecting his attack. He blindsided us with his power, you will have time to prepare for his onslaught" said Luna.

"How are you going to pick who replaces you as the guardian or guardians of Avalon?" asked Gabriel, the ever present Angela and Ophelia by his side.

"We are not" said Phoebe.

"You will be given the one thing we were forever denied, a choice" said Seline.

"What if none of us step forward?" inquired Elisa, "What if not of us take the job?"

"Then Alpha One will win, and this will end very badly for everyone and everything" said Luna.

"You want one or more of us to destroy him" Elisa said, her eyes growing wide with realization.

"Is doing so even possible now?" asked Ophelia.

"We sincerely hope so, because he will surely attempt to destroy all of you" said Phoebe.

"I thought you said we are protected at least until a new guardian of the Island is formally selected?" said the Magus.

"You are protected from him, however he can still send his troops or his battle fortress to kill you" answered Seline.

"Wait a minute, his 'battle fortress' does it happen to be named the Technodrome?" asked Donatello.

"Yes, that is its' name" replied Luna.

"Of course it is all making sense now" reasoned Donatello aloud. "He got the bomb and the Foot Soldiers from the Technodrome. He must have hijacked it when we sent it away from Earth two years ago."

"What does this Techondrome look like?" Venus asked, turning her attention towards Donatello.

"Like a giant golf ball, on tank tracks with an eye mounted on top why?" said Donatello.

"That was what I saw in my nightmare during Thanksgiving!" exclaimed Venus. "Alpha One seemingly used it to coat the entire World in some type of toxic slime."

"We know not the details of his plan, only that he will destroy all life everywhere" said the Weird Sisters in unison.

"If we are indeed invincible to Alpha One's magic, no matter how temporarily the condition may be." Goliath reasoned. "I think it is time we paid him a visit." The others nodded or otherwise indicated there ascent to Goliath's proposition.

"I still think the only way to defeat this creature is an appeal to the Spirit of Avalon itself" said the Magus, physically blocking Goliath and the others before they could depart. "Besides Venus are there any others who will aid my in this endeavor?"

"I will" said Nightingale stepping forward.

"Mother no!" said Angela. "We cannot lose you"

"I must do this child" explained Nightingale. "I must protect you and your siblings. Furthermore I must fully atone for my sins. This is the only way. Do not worry yourselves, whatever will be will be. No matter, what I swear I will protect our family." All the young gargoyles embraced their dear rookery mother, may with tears in their eyes, for what they feared would be the last time. "Now go, make me proud my children. Remember, no matter what, I will always love you all." Goliath and Nightingale then exchanged a look and a nod between them.

"I wish you luck. If neither of us succeeds I guess this is goodbye" said Leonardo embracing Venus. "Remember how much I love you, and be strong."

"My dear Leonardo I love you with all my heart" said Venus the two kissed deeply before reluctantly separating.

"Magus I truly hope you know what you are doing?" said Tom to his old friend.

"Aye Magus" added Katherine.

"As much as I can" said the Magus with a small smile. "Now go you two, it would appear we all have your parts to play and mine is here."

Gathering his group Goliath turned his attention back towards the Weird Sisters who were still seated around the dwindling fire. "Where do we find this Technodrome?"

"It is on the far side of the Island" said the Weird Sisters in unison, pointing towards the north. "Go in this direction, you will find it if it does not find you first. We will assist the three in their communion with the Spirit of Avalon. We will then remain with them until the new guardian or guardians have been selected. Go now, there isn't much time!"

The far side of Avalon several hours later

The Technodrome crashed through the forest of Avalon toppling trees like toothpicks. It had been lumbering inland for the past hour. The massive structure finally stopped at the foot of a local landmark known as the 'Hollow Hill'.

This is where our intrepid group of heroes found it about two hours later. Entering through the open doors unopposed, using the knowledge of Leonardo and Donatello, the group made their way swiftly to the Portal Room/Control Room. Everything was eerily quiet, too quiet. The high backed control chair, turned towards the deactivated portal screen. Without warning the chair spun around. There, in a relaxed pose, sat Alpha One.

"You survived" Alpha One said simply.

"Disappointed Alpha One?" asked Leonardo, his voice thick with sarcasm.

"Not at all Leonardo" said Alpha One, snapping his fingers. "Surround them!" Suddenly thousands of Foot Soldiers, Robotic Rock Soldiers and Robotic Dragon Warriors, with weapons drawn appeared out of thin air surrounding the heroes from every angle. "Surrender now or my forces will destroy you!" commanded Alpha One, getting up from his seat.

"Never!" growled Goliath, his eyes shone a solid white. "We will resist you to the last!" Ignoring the massed forces the heroes advanced towards Alpha One.

"I was hoping you'd say that Goliath" said Alpha One, snapping his fingers again. A pair of bound and gagged gargoyles, a Gray Male & a Brown Female, appeared seated in the chair directly behind Alpha One.

They were a pair Goliath hadn't seen in a millennium still he recognized them almost immediately. "Brother, sister" he whispered.

"Good you remember them" said Alpha One. "If anyone so much as twitches in my general direction I'll kill them right in front of you, and I'll make certain their deaths will not be easy ones. I repeat, surrender at once or they die!" Several Robotic Rock Soldiers trained their laser rifles on the pair of gargoyles.

Having no choice the heroes dropped their weapons and raised their hands in defeat. Alpha One's troops soon shackled each hero hand and foot. The heroes were then forced to their knees. The discarded weapons were then destroyed, either by laser fire or by being broken into small pieces.

"Good" said Alpha One, looking on with approval. "Even when seemingly powerless, both personal experience and observation, has taught me Turtles and Gargoyles are best contained."

"Still afraid of us I see" taunted Leonardo. "I'm curious about something, why not just have your minions kill us all. Why are you keeping us alive?"

"Because it is only fitting that you all should bare witness to the resurrection and ultimate y triumph of Alpha One master and god of all artificial life forms."

"Alpha One is our messiah! Blessed be his name!" chanted Alpha One's troops.

"Since when do robots have an understanding of spirituality?" asked Donatello in utter confusion.

"They gained it through me. I have elevated them beyond the petty concerns of the flesh. I have broken their bonds of biological servitude. By my hand they have become pure and blessed androids" proclaimed Alpha One.

"Alpha One is our messiah! Blessed be his name!" chanted Alpha One's troops.

"This is madness" whispered Gabriel.

"What of us?" asked Elisa, "We'll we become more of your divine androids?"

"Never, you are not worthy of my blessings. You are the accursed you, and all like you, will be destroyed!" said Alpha One, his voice filled with something approaching hatred.

Elsewhere near the middle of Avalon

The Magus struggled up the sheer face of the dormant volcano that stood at the center of the Island. Ahead of him Venus and Nightingale were have a much easier time of completing the assignment the Weird Sisters had given the three would be guardians before they had vanished. The Weird Sisters had instructed the Magus, Nightingale & Venus to meet them atop the dormant volcano in the center of Avalon as soon as the three mortals could make the trip. Innumerable rivulets of cool, clear water streamed over the jagged top of the caldera and poured down the cliff face. The rivulets made the gripping the increasingly vertical, featherless surface even more treacherous than it would otherwise have been. The only one whom the water posed little issue for was Nightingale, who was hovering nearby exhorting Venus and the Magus onward. After what seemed like forever, especially to the Magus, the three finally cleared the craggy top of the caldera.

Atop the dormant volcano was a massive crater, the aforementioned caldera, inside of which pools of water of various sizes bubbled to the surface up through the solid, seemingly impenetrable stone. The bubbling water then flowed in many fast streams towards the edge of the caldera. The ponds, large and small, were all arranged in large, circular doughnut type shape around a dry spot in the middle of the crater. In the large dry area the Weird Sisters hovered several inches above the ground. The three weary trekkers slowly approached the Weird Sisters, being careful to avoid the multitude of ponds and accompanying streams.

"At last you have arrived" said Seline.

"We had almost given up hope" added Luna

"You proved much slower than we anticipated. Mid-night is almost upon us" concluded Phoebe.

"I apologizes ladies" said the Magus. "It was a difficult journey, and I am not as young as I once was."

"Excuse me, why is the hour of mid-night so important?" asked Venus, finally catching her breath after the long, arduous climb.

"That is when Alpha One will make his move" said Seline.

"When he will destroy all life everywhere, if not stopped" said Luna.

"The others will surely stop him" said Nightingale, though he statement lacked any real confidence.

"Regrettably they will likely fail" said Phoebe. "We fear it will soon be up to the three of you."

"Come forward" said the Weird Sisters in unison.

Nightingale, the Magus and Venus did as they were instructed. The three mortals stood in front of the three immortals, not knowing what to expect. Each of the Weird Sisters placed a hand on each of the mortals' shoulders and looked into their eyes. The eyes of the Weird Sisters glowed with multicolored light. The light from the eyes of the Weird Sisters then traveled in crackling beams into the eyes of the three mortals. There was a blinding flash of light, accompanied by the pained screams & groans of Venus, the Magus and Nightingale. When the light finally faded and the sounds of agony subsided the three mortals found themselves alone. In the center of the dry area, which the Weird Sisters had previously floated above, was a deep hole filled with darkness. Peering over the jagged edge of the pit the three mortals felt as if it were bottomless, the entrance to a true abyss.

"There isn't much time" said the faint voices of the Weird Sisters.

"Where are you?" asked Nightingale, her gaze traveling to and fro.

"We are no longer part of this plane of existence. We have passed our remaining corporeal power on to the three of you. You must enter the heart of the Island. Only there can you commune with what you called the Spirit of Avalon. The Spirit will guide your quest from this point on, go!" instructed the voices of the Weird Sisters, becoming ever fainter.

"Wait, what exactly is down there?" asked Venus.

"Birth, life, death, rebirth the cycle of existence, only guardians and designated guardian candidates can find this place little own enter into it."

"What if, by some slim chance, somebody other than a guardian or designated guardian candidate were to enter it?" asked the Magus, curiosity getting the better of him.

"If an unworthy were to enter unprotected that being would then suffer a fate worse than oblivion. They would henceforth existence in a state of perpetual death. Time is of the essence, you must go at once!"

The Magus, Nightingale and Venus looked at each other apprehensively. Several moments passed during which the three did nothing. Finally Nightingale briefly looked at the others before plunging over the edge, she was followed by Venus and finally, most reluctantly of all, by the Magus.

It was dark inside the pit, darker than the darkness night. Even the keen eyesight of the gargoyle Nightingale, long accustomed to operating in the darker places of the world, could make out no details in the inky blackness. Down, down, down they fell. Forever they seemed to fall, and still they fell. Then in an instant everything changed.

The three found themselves once again standing on a rough hued trail amongst the thick forests of interior Avalon. The stars twinkled in the clear night sky and the three quarters full moon shone brightly overhead. Before they could gather their thoughts they noticed a young boy of about ten or twelve standing directly in front of them on the pathway.

The Boy had black shaggy, neck length hair, mocha colored skin and dark almond shaped eyes. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt and shorts than were both made out of some rainbow stripped fabric, his feet were bare. The Boy flashed the three onlookers a dazzling smile before running off into the forest. The three not knowing what else to do followed.

After chasing the Boy for some time they emerged into the same large clearing where they had started their journey earlier that night. There was even a large fire in the middle of the dell. There, on the far side of the fire, sat the Boy his legs crossed. Standing behind him were the Weird Sisters seemingly restored to physical existence.

"Come sit" instructed the Boy. The three did as they were told, taking up positions around the fire opposite the Boy and the Weird Sisters.

"Who are you?" asked Venus, the Boy dismissed her question with the wave of his hand.

"They tell me you are their potential replaces" the Boy said, gesturing behind him to the Weird Sisters. "Tell me what makes you believe you are worthy of the responsibility of being my protectors?"

"You are the Spirit of Avalon?" asked Nightingale, in surprise.

The Boy smiled. "Please answer the question. What makes you believe you are worthy of the position?"

"I'm not certain how any of us can prove our worth by mere words" said the Magus.

"Why do you desire the position?" asked the Boy.

"To protect those I love" answered Nightingale.

"To save all life in the multiverse" answered Venus.

"I see" said the Boy, turning his full attention towards the Magus. "What of you? Why do you desire the position?"

"Because I have done evil in my life, evil for which I have never truly atoned. Being the guardian of Avalon, of you, would give me that chance. I would make a difference on the mortal plane and perhaps leave it a better place than I found it" answered the Magus.

"You are all flawed, however you are also the three best choices available" said the Boy. "I will grant all three of you the position on a temporary basis. I only require one of you permanently. You wish to stop Alpha One very well I grant you the ability to do so. Be forewarned the one of you who exercises this boon will not only grant Alpha One the blessing of everlasting death but also his or herself. There must be balance in all things, especially in this thing which you mortals call magic. It is done I will now return you to the corporeal plane, go in peace."

Elsewhere the Technodrome at the foot of the Hollow Hill

"The time of my ultimate glory is nearly upon us" announced Alpha One, approaching the controls that operated the transdimensional portal generators.

"Peachy" said Leonardo under his breath.

With a wave of Alpha One's hand a huge, bubbling vat of mutagen appeared to his right. "Look familiar my mutant friends?" Alpha One asked, looking directly at Donatello & Leonardo.

"Yeah" said Donatello. "It is a vat of Krang's mutagen."

"Precisely" said Alpha One, with a snap of his fingers he held am ancient looking vial, made of ornately decorated pottery with a metal stopper. "Behold last bit of blood from the left side of the legendary gorgon Medusa. It is one of, if not, the deadliest mystical poison in all of existence. Now observe carefully, I shall do this only once."

Alpha One floated several feet off the ground. He plucked out the stopper and poured the boiling, smoking bright purple liquid into the vat of mutagen. He then shot the vat full of magical energy which flowed in torrents from his hands, eyes and mouth, while uttering several verses in an unknown language. Once he was finished the mutagen turned from green, to yellow, to brown finally ending as a grayish-black, foul smelling goo.

"Observe" said Alpha One a fern appearing in his hand. Alpha One lightly brushed the edge of the planet against the gray-black goo. In an instant the fern withered and died. "Within a few more minutes midnight will arrive here on Avalon. The barrier between dimensions will be the weakest in has been in eons, which is why I selected this time for my return to the Island. Using the transdimensional portal generators of the Technodrome at the wicking hour I will sent out an energy pulse that will rupture the dimensional rift that exists at the heart Avalon. The barriers of the nexus separating dimensions will collapse allowing me to bombard every corner of creation with my new super toxin. Ironic that which has given so many mutants new life will now bring absolute, everlasting death to the multiverse. The age of biology life will soon end, the dawn of the age of artificial life with begin!" Alpha One's troops cheered their approval, while the heroes gasped in utter horror. "I just wanted you so called heroes to know my plan. That everyone and everything you have ever cared about will soon die and there is nothing you can do to stop me. Once I have cleansed the multiverse I may grant you the sweet release of death, if you ask nicely."

Brilliant multi-colored light bathed the portal room in a warm glow. Standing in the doorway on the far side of the room opposite Alpha One floated three figures. It was soon clear the glow was emitting from them. The figures floated into the room. They were now hovering directly over the restrained heroes. The heroes could now make out the identities of the three figures they were the Magus, Venus and Nightingale! Nightingale floated forward until she was hovering directly in front of Alpha One.

"What is going on?" asked Goliath, looking both at her and at the Magus and Venus.

"We looked into the heart of Avalon and the heart of Avalon looked into us. I have chosen to end this game. All I have ever wanted is my family safe. Now I will protect you and our friends from the wrath of the evil one" answer Nightingale.

"You cannot stop me fool I am invincible!" declared Alpha One brazenly.

"You are nothing but a spec in the wind of magic, on behalf of the Spirit of Avalon I revoke the gifts you have been granted and in their place grant you the gift of everlasting death!" Nightingale grabbed Alpha One by his large head. The two spun around, and around, and around until they were a blur of light and darkness. With a tremendous clap of thunder the blur then blipped out of existence, but not before releasing a massive shockwave of golden-white light that passed through the Portal Room in an instant. In the wake of the shockwave the deadly altered mutagen reverted to its' natural state and the troops of Alpha One disintegrated leaving behind a thin layer of fine gray dust. The heroes found themselves free of their bonds. When it was all over Nightingale lay motionless in the middle of the portal room.

"Mother no!" yelled Angela frantically, she, the other young gargoyles and Goliath ran over to where Nightingale lay.

Scooping the limp body of Nightingale up into his arms Goliath turned toward Venus & the Magus. "Help her, please!"

"There is nothing we can do" said the Magus, shaking his head.

"I am so sorry" said Venus, her face full of a combination of genuine regret and deep sorrow.

"Why not!?" demanded Angela, now at Goliath's side, "Why are you refusing to heal our mother after she saved us all, why!?"

"It isn't that simple" said Venus, she and the Magnus still hovering above the ground. "The Spirit of Avalon he made it clear when granting us our status as temporary guardians that whoever chose to step up and destroy Alpha One must give up their own life."

"Nightingale sacrificed herself so that all of you could live. Her only goal was protecting you her loved ones, her family and friends" said the Magus. "She was the bravest, the noblest and the most generous of as all. At the end her soul was pure, washed clean of any earlier stains."

"Perhaps there is something I can do" said Venus floating down to the floor, and placing her hand upon the forehead of Nightingale. "I cannot give her back a lifetime, however maybe I can at least let her enjoy a few more moments with you her loved ones. Spirit of Avalon I give up my position as guardian so that Nightingale will be given the opportunity of saying her goodbyes."

The rainbow colored glow surrounding Venus faded away, finally disappearing altogether. At the same time Nightingale's eyes fluttered open. She then gasped for breath, following a coughing fit she looked up at Goliath, Angela and the others.

"Thank the Dragon you are okay mother!" said Gabriel leaning over Nightingale.

"You have returned to us" said Angela.

"We do not know what we'd do without you" said Ophelia.

Beholding her precious children for what would be the last time. Nightingale's eyes glazed over with tears. "My dear, dear children always remember I love you all. I was dead inside before you were born. Your childhood was the one of the most joyous periods in my life. You saved me, now I have saved you. Goliath" she said, looking up at her former mate, "I am a better person for having known you. It was your example of compassionate, moral leadership that I always tried to emulate when raising the children."

"Hush" said the large gargoyle tears flowing down his cheeks, his own heart breaking. "Save your strength."

"No, there isn't much left time. There is much that still must be said" continued Nightingale, gently brushing Goliath's cheek with the tips of her fingers. "Goliath your future lies ahead, not behind you. Always remember that."

"I will my Angel of the Night" sobbed Goliath.

"I only wish I knew for certain that our brothers and sisters have forgiven me" said Nightingale weakly, her renewed life slowly fading away.

"I forgive you sister" said the Gray Male Gargoyle, who was Goliath and Nightingale's rookery brother.

"As do I" said the Brown Female Gargoyle, who was the mate of the Gray Male and rookery sister of Nightingale as well as Goliath.

"Brother, sister you are alive my prayers have been answered" said Nightingale, watching the pair approach her. "Thank you for delivering me from my last mortal bond. Farewell my family, my Clan. I go now in peace" It was over, Nightingale was dead.

The following night Avalon

The Avalon Clan buried Nightingale under her favorite tree in the courtyard of the Citadel. The funeral was the grandest one anyone could remember since the heyday of Castle Wyvern. The younger gargoyles were extremely distraught at the loss of their Rookery Mother, many were nearly inconsolable with grief.

Later that night it was decided that Donatello, Leonardo, Venus, Elisa & Goliath would return home early the following evening using the Technodrome, Donatello swore he could pilot the battle fortress. After some internal debate Goliath's rookery brother & sister joined the others, the pair sorely desiring a return to Earth. They then took the names of Othello & Desdemona when Elisa informed them that back on Earth in modern times they'd needed names of their own: the names being suggested by Leonardo who was a huge Shakespeare fan, upon hearing the backstory of the couple from Goliath.

Early the next evening the Magus entered the portal room accompanied by a brown haired, bearded man of about fifty who was dressed in early medieval style armor and holding a board sword. "My friends may I introduce to you Arthur Pendragon, once and future king of Britain" said the Magus, gesturing towards the Bearded Man. "I awoke him from his long slumber in the Hollow Hill, as the new guardian of Avalon I feel it is high time he returns to the land of the living to Earth."

"May I please accompany you on your journey?" asked Arthur Pendragon, bowing low before the group of turtles and gargoyles.

"King Arthur, wow" said Leonardo. "This is truly an honor. Of course you may accompany us." The entire group nodded their heads in agreement.

"I also want to come with you" said the young, dark haired, lavender skinned gargoyle called Angela, as she entered the portal room. "I want to see this Earth of which you speak. The place where are kind comes from."

"Are you sure, once we leave it is likely we will never return" asked Goliath, approaching Angela.

"I've never been surer of anything in my life" answered Angela.

"Very well, once we return you will formerly join my Clan. Welcome to our family Angela" said Goliath.

"Thank you for accepting me into your Clan Goliath" said Angela, firmly grasping Goliath's forearm in the traditional gargoyle sign of companionship.

"I must be going, good luck with your journey my friends. Please look after these artifacts, they do not belong here" said the Magus, vanishing in a flash of rainbow colored light after handing Leonardo and Goliath the Emerald of the Realms, the Phoenix Gate, the Eye of Odin, the Vial of the Gorgons and the Grimorum Arcanorum.

"Here goes nothing" said Donatello pulling the primary control lever opening the super transdimensional portal directly in front of the Technodrome through which the mobile battle fortress soon passed, the portal rapidly shutting behind it. It had been over eighty hours, Avalon time, since Goliath, Leonardo, Elisa, Venus and Donatello had first arrived on the Island.

The End of the Beginning


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimers

All characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All characters appearing in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987 series copyright by Murakami Wolf Swenson, Inc. All other TMNT related characters are copyright IDW comics. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holders.

All original characters are the property of Celgress.

TMNT/Gargoyles Season Two Avalon and Beyond Episode Six: Of Mutants and Monsters

By

Celgress

"One pill makes you larger and one pill makes you small. And the ones that mother gives you don't do anything at all."

White Rabbit (1967) Jefferson Airplane

"They've given you a number and taken away your name."

Secret Agent Man (1966) Johnny Rivers

The Secret Base of Armaggon the morning of February 2nd, 1995

"Damnit all!" roared Armaggon, clearing the table full of various tubes and beakers with a single swipe of his mighty tail. The glass implements shattered into thousands of small shards upon impact with the hard floor of the makeshift lab.

Nearby Killer Bee & Scale Tail cowered in fear of Armaggon's latest outburst. Armaggon had already been extremely abusive, both physically & psychologically, to the two mutants during the course of their short lives. Both Scale Tail & Killer Bee had learned that they should give the cyborg shark mutant a wide berth when he was in a foul mood, such as now.

Amraggon turned his huge head towards his two underlings. The penetrating gaze of his blood red eyes reducing them to dust. "What are you two looking at? Don't you have anything better to do than watch me wallow in abject failure?"

"We are sorry master. Is there any way we can help?" buzzed Killer Bee, his voice filled with fright.

Armaggon's limps emitted a deep, long lasting, belly laugh. A sound that was terrible to behold. "Thanks Killer Bee. I haven't laughed this much in years. Regrettably two morons like the two of you are of little use in my current situation. I have hit a brick wall in my analysis of the mutagen. If my endeavor of replicating large quantities of the substance is to prove successful, I'll require at least one willing assistant with more than a single working brain cell."

Several hours later Armaggon was slumped on the couch upstairs watching TV, while Scale Tail and Killer Bee amused themselves with some board game in the corner. Armaggon was depressed his plans had stalled. Without more mutagen he couldn't make any more mutants. Without more mutants he couldn't increase his troop numbers. Without more troops he couldn't stage the eventual violent overthrow of human society and conquest first of the City, and then the World. Armaggon briefly toyed with the idea of simply stealing more mutagen from TCRI Corp, but he dismissed that plan almost immediately. There was little doubt in his mind Shredder & Krang had improved the security of their stockpile since his last little 'shopping trip'. Yes it certainly was a conundrum. If only that turncoat gargoyle Brooklyn and his equally detestable brethren hadn't destroyed most of his remaining mutagen, this wouldn't even be a problem.

"At 3:00 pm this afternoon on behalf of the Renard Foundation for a Better Tomorrow, billionaire heiress and well known philanthropist, Janine Renard will present local university student, sixteen year old, Foster Fenwick with the Young Visionaries Award in recognition of his theoretical work on curing World hunger. The award ceremony will take place following a visit by Ms. Renard with Foster Fenwick at the Manhattan Animal Behavioral Research Institute where the young biology major currently interns" said the Noon News Anchor.

"Foster" mouthed Armaggon to himself. "That brat always was rather clever he's now a biology major they say. Hmmm, he might be just what the doctor ordered. Perhaps he can unscramble my findings so I can finally create more mutagen." Armaggon hoisted himself into a sitting position, and then yelled over his shoulder. "My minions how does a day at the zoo sound?" Armaggon asked his face displayed his trademark toothy grin.

Manhattan Animal Behavioral Research Institute 2:20 pm

Foster Fenwick was nervous. He was use to receiving awards and even public speaking. No those things were okay, it was the attractive young redheaded woman that was currently listening so intently to his speech about mountain lion behavior that was the cause of his apprehension. Janine Renard was everything Foster wasn't, and everything he dreamed of. She was rich, cultured, confident and elegant. Foster couldn't help but admire her poise and charm. She certainly was his dream girl unfortunately she was also way out of his league. Foster held no illusions otherwise.

"If I may be so bold Ms. Renard" Foster began.

"Please call me Janine" said Janine Renard, flashing Foster a small smile, while absentmindedly poking her fingers through the mesh pen which housed a family of artic foxes. One of the small animals licked her fingertips.

"Um, okay Janine if I may be so bold. Why do you not only hand out the Young Visionaries Awards in person, but also meet with the recipients for a chat beforehand? Surely someone of your standing has better things to do with her time?"

"No doubt you think I'm one of those spoiled debutants who spends most of my days dodging paparazzi at the spa. Who is only here because I'm interested in a good photo-op, right?" said Janine Renardo a stern look on her face as she removed her hand from the pen containing the artic foxes.

"Um, eh ah sorry if I offended you Ms. Renard er Janine, I meant you no disrespect I assure you" stammered Foster Fenwick.

"Don't sweat it" said Janine, no longer able to keep a straight face. "I was only pulling your leg. You should've seen the look on your face, it was priceless."

"I suppose it was" said Foster, running his hand through his thick sandy blonde hair. "Touché you really put one over on me, for a second there I was about to beat a hasty, tactical retreat." Foster found himself smiling back at Janine Renard. There was something genuine of spirit about the young heiress that kept him from getting angry at her, that and the mega crush he had.

"Hello Foster, its' been awhile. How are tricks? Scale Tail do it now!" said the hideous cybernetic shark mutant that, along with a green cobra mutant and a mutant bee, appeared out of nowhere besides the group of Foster Fenwick, Janine Renard and Ms. Renard's security detail.

Before Foster could reply Scale Tail rapidly spite several quick volleys of venom at the surprised security guards. Two of the six guards where hit squarely in the eyes by the venom, and soon were thrashing on the floor in agony, the other four meanwhile instinctively shielded their eyes for protection. Armaggon and Killer Bee took this opportunity to catch the remaining guards off balance. Armaggon stunning two with his arm mounted laser canons, while Killer Been in rapid succession stung the others with his massive stinger. The entire 'battle' was over in less than thirty seconds.

"Now where were we" said Armaggon rubbing his hands together as he took several menacing steps towards Foster & Janine. "Ah yes now I remember, long time no see Foster."

"What are you talking about?" said Foster, a bit taken aback by the formality Armaggon was treating him with. "I've never seen you before in my life, you you monster you!"

"Kids today" said Armaggon, quickly glancing at his two follow mutants. "How soon they forget their relations."

"Excuse me, you thing you" said Foster, plucking up what courage he possessed. "I am no relation of your own, of that I am certain"

"You're mistaken, see before my radical makeover back in August I looked a lot like you in fact though a bit handsomer. See I'm your dear old uncle, Vernon" said Armaggon, flashing Foster a toothy grin.

"Lies!" said Foster. "My uncle Vernon died in a tragic freak accident. He fell off the Brooklyn Bridge late one night."

"That isn't true" said Armaggon. "April O'Neil and her friends the Turtles betrayed me. They tried to kill me, instead of dying I found new life and new purpose. I was reborn through adversity into what you see before you" Armaggon's hand swept down his large frame. "Vernon Fenwick died that night, and you know what Foster he deserved to. Vernon was conflicted, cowardly, and most of all weak. Vernon Fenwick is dead, long live Armaggon!"

"I don't believe you! You are not my uncle, you lie!" screamed Foster, pounding his balled up fists into board chest of Armaggon.

"Of course I am, don't be silly. Remember the solar magnet?"

"That was on the news, everyone knows about it!" yelled Foster, continuing his futile assault on Armaggon.

"What about the cabby who told me I should basically disown you when you arrived at the original Channel Six Building? What about that, hmmmm" said Armaggon, a wicked smile still plastered across his ugly face.

"It, it is you!" said Foster, stopping his assault upon his altered uncle.

"It is, furthermore I've had enough of your inane chatter. You're coming with me and my friends, right now young man" said Armaggon, grabbing his nephew by the wrist.

"Let him go!" said Janine jumping onto Armaggon's back. Armaggon more annoyed than anything else released Foster throwing both him and Janine to the floor.

"Very well Ms. Renard, if you're so fond of my nephew by all means join us" Armaggon stunned both young people with his arm mounted laser canons. Armaggon and Scale Tail then slung the two unconscious humans over their shoulders. The two other mutants then gathered closely around Armaggon. The group vanished when Armaggon activated his personal teleportation device.

The Secret Base of Armaggon thiry minutes later

"Now to make sure you don't escape, or betray me later" said Armaggon, filling two standard size syringes half way with a bright green liquid. "I just hope there is enough left for two effective doses."

"What are you yapping on about?" Janine wanted to know, as she struggled against the ropes that help her to a wooden chair. Beside her Foster was similarly tied to a wooden chair.

"Uncle, if there is any decency left in you please let Ms. Renard, Janine, go she has no part in this. You even admitted it was me you want. Please don't hurt her without reason, I beg you" pleaded Foster, looking plaintively towards Armaggon. "If you release her, unharmed, I promise I will go along with whatever scheme you may have no matter how despicable it may be. Do you hear me uncle?"

"First stop calling me uncle. You will henceforth address me either as Armaggon or by my proper title master, understand" said Armaggon looking at Foster. "Second after I preform my little procedure neither of you will want to leave, nor will you be able. Tell me Foster, Janine have you ever wondered how the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and those like them, got the way they are today?"

"I never really gave it much thought" stammered Janine nervously.

"Nor have I" confessed Foster.

"Well the two of you are about to find out first hand. In each of these syringes is a dose of a powerful genetic alteration agent generally known by the colloquial name mutagen" explained Armaggon holding the two syringes in front of the terrified young people. "By most reliable estimates, of those in the know, some variant of mutagen is responsible for over 85% of the mutants that exist on Earth today. Crudely put, mutagen works by combining the host's genomic structure with trace DNA taken from the last dissimilar organism or organisms the host was in contact with. Considering that we captured you two at a zoo like facility, this should prove especially interesting. Okay who's first?"

The Turtles' Secret Lair one hour later

"I know you guys are busy with the disappearance of Leo, Donnie and the others, still I could really use your help" said the image of Casey Jones over the turtlecom.

"Sure thing Casey dude, what is the haps bro?" asked Michelangelo.

"While I was overseeing the shutdown of the Nonhumans Containment Facility north of White Plains this afternoon, my boss' daughter, Janine Renard, was abducted from the Manhattan Animal Behavioral Research Institute by Armaggon and two other unidentified mutants along with a university student called Foster Fenwick" said Casey Jones.

"What a minute, did you say Foster Fenwick?" said Michelangelo.

"Yeah, why is that important? Do you know the kid?"

"We sure do, Foster Fenwick is the nephew of Vernon Fenwick. We met the dude when he was attending a science fair a few years ago"

"Looks like Armaggon is keeping it all in the family" said Casey Jones with a mirthless chuckle.

"Casey dude do you have any idea where Armaggon and his fellow baddies stashed your boss' daughter and Foster?"

"None whatsoever, I was hoping if you guys help out we could double our chances of finding them."

"Sure thing Casey dude, we'll also contact the Gargoyles as soon as the Sun goes down so they can pitch in a hand er or wing."

"Thanks Michelangelo, I'll be in touch" Casey's image faded from the turtlecom.

"I'm not going" said Raphael, from where he sat on the couch watching TV.

"At this point we're use to you doing nothing" said Mona Lisa, rolling her eyes as she got up off the couch and walked towards Michelangelo. "Your brothers and Venus, not to mention Goliath & Elisa, up and vanish more than a week ago yet you still keep your vow of 'quieting the crime fighting business'. Even though you are leaving the rest of us dangerously shorthanded, c'mon Mikey lets go do our duty. It is a thankless, dirty job but somebody has to do it."

"Hey!" yelled Raphael, jumping up from his seat. "Don't put this entirely on me. If the humans were actually grateful we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"You're right they aren't grateful Raphael, at this point I doubt they ever will be. Still because of our different nature we have powers and talents that humans don't. We have a duty to protect the innocent, or have you forgotten?" Mona Lisa fumed at Raphael.

"Why, why must it always be us?" Raphael retorted.

"Because it can be no one else" stated the calm voice of Splinter, as the sensei entered the TV chamber. "Mona Lisa, Michelangelo please go about your business and always remember I am proud of you. I would like to speak with Raphael privately." The two other mutants left the Lair leaving Raphael and Splinter alone.

"Going to tell me how disappointed you are?" Splinter ignoring Raphael's taunt for the moment turned off the TV.

"I hope I will never be disappointed in you my son. However I must confess I am confused by your recent behavior" said Splinter, now standing beside Raphael. "My son anger has always ruled your heart. No matter how hard I have tried I have failed to help you overcome it. You could very well have had your brother Leonardo's position as leader if not for your anger. It has nearly cost you the love of Mona Lisa on several occasions, and once or twice nearly your life. I now seriously doubt you will ever slay this inner demon my son. I do not know exactly how, but somewhere along your life journey I have failed you both as your master and your father."

"Don't say that Master Splinter" said Raphael. "The mistakes I have made are my own. I'm sorry I've never been the son you deserve. That I have also been a problem child, that I have always failed you."

"Nonsense" said Splinter. "I accept and love all my children for who they are, equally including you Raphael. As a wise man once said, variety is the spice of life."

"Really Master?" asked Raphael. "I've always had the impression I am your least favorite."

"Raphael how could you entertain such a notion?" said a shocked Splinter.

"I know, I know you say you love us all 'equally' still I haven't made it easy for you. Surely you must have noticed over the years?" said Raphael, looking Splinter straight in the eye.

"The most demanding projects are often the most rewarding" said Splinter, placing his hands on Raphael's shoulders. "Raphael you remind me of myself when I was your age."

"I can't believe that Master. I always pictured you being like Leonardo when you were growing up"

"You couldn't be more wrong" laughed Splinter, a sound seldom heard in the Lair. "I have never told anyone else this story, the story of my youth. Until well into my thirties I was a bitter young man. You must understand Raphael me and my brother lost our entire family during the Great War. We were raised by a gargoyle master of Ninjutsu. I came to hate my fellow human beings both for causing the Great War and because of how they treated the nonhumans who protected them such as my benefactor. I caused my dear departed master no end of worry."

"What happened, what changed your mind Master?"

"Overtime I came to understand the difference between ignorance and true evil. Never confuse ignorance with true evil my son. Ignorance thrives on fear, whereas true evil thrives on domination. Dispel fear and ignorance withers and dies. It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness."

"Thank you sensei, I really needed this" said Raphael, getting up from the couch, grabbing his weapons, turtlecom and heading towards the door.

"Where are you going my son?" inquired Splinter, already knowing the answer.

"After Mona Lisa and Michelangelo of course, those two don't stand a chance without my help Master" Splinter just smiled, watching Raphael depart.

Over the course of the next two weeks the Turtles, the Gargoyles, Casey Jones and the Police all searched for the missing young people. However none found any trace of the Janine Renard or Foster Fenwick. It was as if the two had simply vanished off the face of the Earth.

Over the course of the following weeks the local media, already riding record high TV ratings on a wave of anti-nonhuman hysteria, fanned the flames of sensationalism. The seemingly random abduction, and likely senseless murder, of both a young socialite and a budding scholar by a gang of vicious mutants was front headlines news. Every pundit had an opinion, and 99% of those opinions were that the nonhuman menace had to go by whatever means necessary. Right there in the middle of it all was Clayton Kellerman. Kellerman maintained if the authorities were unable, or perhaps unwilling, to protect the citizenry then it was high time that his new movement People for Normalcy, or PFN, created an armed wing which would wear uniforms, including masks, and be organized along Para-military lines. This new sub-group would be called Soldiers of Restoration or PFN-SOR.

A Mayoral Fundraiser the evening of February 21st 1995

The gala event was in full swing when the quartet of mutants literally crashed the party. The four smashed through the overhead skylight landing right in the middle of the revelers. The group was comprised of a white furred mutant artic fox female dressed in black with a distinctive blue fox head marking over her right eye, a tan furred mutant cougar male in a red jump suit with black boots, Scale Tail and Killer Bee. Both the Artic Fox Mutant and the Cougar Mutant held laser pistols.

"Alright everyone hand over all your cash & valuables no one will be harmed" ordered the Artic Fox Mutant, pointing her gun into the crowd.

"If we refuse?" asked the Mayor.

"Then I just might get an itchy trigger finger" said the Cougar Mutant, pointing his own gun squarely at the Mayor.

The four soon filled the sack Killer Bee was carrying. They then moved on to the reserve sack Scale Tail had brought, just in case they underestimated the amount of loot the fundraiser would generate. The four were about to leave when a sick looking old man in a wheelchair started denouncing them.

"Isn't it enough some of you mutant freaks took my daughter Janine away from me? Now you are robbing charity events like common hoodlums. Clayton Kellerman is right, you nonhumans are all no go" said Halcyon Renard, his ever present personal aid the unflappable Preston Vogel by his side.

"You're Halcyon Renard, right?" said the Artic Fox Mutant.

"I am, and whom or perhaps more precisely what are you?" asked Halcyon Renard, looking the female mutant up and down, disgust evident in his expression.

"My friends and my enemies alike call me Alopex, a pleasure to make your acquaintance" said Alopex, extending her hand which Halcyon Renard ignored. "Umm tough crowd, I guess this means we can't be friends" she pouted, while the Cougar Mutant by her side snickered. "No matter, we have what we came for let's hit the road boys!"

"You heard the lady" said the Cougar Mutant, turning towards Scale Tail and Killer Bee. "We are outta here!"

Minutes later the four mutants were gliding across the skyline of Manhattan. They, well other than Killer Bee, jumped or sprang from one rooftop, balcony or fire escape to the next. They were making good time, and were within several blocks of their secret base, when like the party goers they had earlier victimized they were set upon by several unwelcomed guests. Three young gargoyles, two males and a female, landed on the roof the four mutants currently occupied halting their forward advancement.

"Nice night for a robbery, eh Scale Tail and Killer Bee?" said Broadway, arms crossed over his chest.

"You guys never learn" said Brooklyn, shaking his head in dismay.

"So, who are your friends?" asked Seraphina. "Looks like Armaggon has been into the mutagen again" She and Brooklyn exchanged a worried look.

"Now you can drop the stolen property, or we can take it from you" said Broadway, cracking his knuckles.

"Over our dead bodies freaks!" shouted Alopex, pointing her gun at the gargoyles.

"Pot meet kettle" said Seraphina, with a loud sigh. "Have it your way."

The three gargoyles and the four mutants engaged in what proved to be a quick, yet indecisive, rumble on the rooftop. Almost immediately Scale Tail attempted to blind Broadway with his venomous spite. However this time his intended target was ready for him, ducking at the last minute before delivering a low flying tackle which knocked the Cobra Mutant off his tail. Meanwhile Killer Bee attempted to dive bomb Brooklyn, only to have his would be victim turn the tables by jumping onto Killer Bee's back forcing Killer Bee down onto the snowy rooftop. Only Seraphina was having any difficulty. The female gargoyle was facing a two on one barrage of laser fire that saw her unable to land a single blow. Thankfully Brooklyn and Broadway neutralized Alopex and her Cougar Mutant partner by violently knocking them into each other using two sideswipe flying shoulder blocks.

"Are you alright?" asked Brooklyn, pulling Seraphina up off the snowy roof.

"I'm fine, thank you guys for helping. They really hand me pinned down there" said Seraphina.

"Don't mention it, you'd have done the same for us" said Broadway.

"Hey you three, this isn't over yet not by a long shot!" shouted Alopex, now recovered. "Manx show these three how we deal with annoyances" she said turning towards the Manx the Cougar Mutant, who tossed a primed grenade at the feet of the gargoyles.

"Scattered now!" ordered Brooklyn, all three gargoyles just barely got off the roof and airborne before the structure was engulfed in a massive ball of flame.

The Secret Base of Armaggon the morning of February 22nd 1995

Manx and Alopex were counting the loot they had managed to save from their heist the night before. Luckily in the confusion that had reigned following their escape from the three young gargoyles only Scale Tail's sack had been lost. Of the two sacks it carried by far the least amount of goodies they had plundered from the fundraiser.

"I still don't understand why I allowed you two to talk me into letting you go on that heist" grumbled Armaggon who was standing beside the table where the two other mutants were seated. "We currently need more chemicals and equipment, perhaps weapons, but not more money" he snarled.

"Trust me, you can never have too much money" said Alopex, trying on a stolen bracelet.

"She has a point uncle" said Manx, looking up from his counting at Armaggon.

"How many times must I tell you" growled Armaggon. "Don't ever call me that again. Vernon Fenwick is dead, as is Foster Fenwick got it?"

"Sure thing Armaggon, master sir!" said Manx with a mock salute, accompanied by more than a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Armaggon grumbled something unintelligible before leaving the room.

"I hate him" said Manx, counting his count.

"Who around here doesn't" said Alopex.

"Someday we'll be free of him Janine, I promise" said Manx

"Don't make promises you might not keep, and it is Alopex now" said Alopex. "Armaggon is right about one thing, in the current social and media climate, there is no going back for any of us. It is best if the World thinks Janine Renard and Foster Fenwick are dead, at least for the time being."

"It must have been hard to treat your father like that last night" said Manx.

"Harder than you'll ever know" said Alopex. "I knew it was for the best. Thinking I'm dead is a hell of a lot less painful for him in the long run than fighting for my rights as a mutant would be. My father is not well he deserves peace in his declining years. It'd gladly tell a million lies, if they'd save him one second of further heartache."

"What about those gargoyles? Even if we ever mange to topple Armaggon they'll still pose a problem" said Manx, thoughtfully.

"I'm sure we'll eventually find a way of removing the problem, if we work together" said Alopex with a sweet grin.

The End


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimers

All characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All characters appearing in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987 series copyright by Murakami Wolf Swenson, Inc. All other TMNT related characters are copyright IDW comics. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holders.

All original characters are the property of Celgress.

TMNT/Gargoyles Season Two Avalon and Beyond Episode Seven: Circle of Thorns

By

Celgress

"Hate begets hate. Violence begets violence."

"Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate."

Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)

PFN-SOR rally Central Park afternoon Mid-April 1995

"We must protect what is ours. We must protect our children. We must protect our elderly. We must protect our community. We must no longer allow these nonhumans to run rampant harming whomever they want and taking whatever they want! For far too long nonhumans have held our fair City in an iron grip of unrelenting terror, I say no more! No more will we cower while they do whatever they please. Starting now we fight back! Starting now we say no more! This is our City, our Country, and our World! Our ancestors built modern civilization, not the ancestors of these creatures. Our society is a human society these creatures have no place in it. They do not belong here some of them were not even born on our planet. The fruits of labor of Humanity are for humans, not nonhumans! If our lives are ever to be peaceful, normal again these creatures must go. If the so called proper authorities will not deal with the nonhuman threat than we must, these creatures must be removed by any means necessary! Allow me to introduce you all to the man who will help make our vision a reality. During the Cold War this man, under the tutelage of his legendary father, was involved in resisting the spread of Communism all over the globe. This man cut his combat teeth facing down Soviet tanks in the mountains of Afghanistan. This man, along with his equally skilled and dedicated wife a world renown material arts expert and former Japanese special ops commander, has volunteered to organize, train and leader our own self dense force; the Soldiers of Restoration. This man has stared evil in the face and hasn't so much as blinked. In fact he has spit right in it's eyes! Please give a warm welcome to Johnathan Canmore!" Clayton Kellerman concluded his opening remarks receiving a round on thunderous applause from the huge crowd that easily numbered well into the thousands.

"Thank you Clayton for that stirring introduction" said John Canmore a tall, muscular, well dressed, blond man. "It has often been said the only thing required for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. I firmly believe the mayor, police commissioner & district attorney of this fair city are at their cores good people. However I also firmly believe they, and their predecessors, for whatever reasons are unwilling or unable to resolve the current crisis we face. Perhaps they are fearful of reprisals from these nonhumans and their supporters. If so, no doubt they have reason to be. The older brother of my treasured wife Karai, a well-loved detective of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Force, was murdered, along with over two hundred others in an act of brutal terrorism all but certainly perpetrated by the infamous mutant vigilantes called the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!" the crowd gave a collective gasp. John Canmore gave a few moments for his statement to fully sink in before continuing. "I do not hold being afraid against anyone, even our public officials. These monsters are indeed extremely dangerous there is no denying this fact. What I do hold against people, especially our public officials, is when their cowardice permits these creatures to continue terrorizing our society harming others and destroying lives as they please! I say no more! If these cowardly public officials, these spineless politicians will not let the proper authorities do what must be done then we will! Who will join me, and my wife Karai, in doing what must be done?! Don't be shy, come one come all. Able bodied young people between the ages of eighteen to thirty-five or those with previous military or police experience are preferred, due to the strenuous nature of the physical activity involved, but all are welcome. Everyone can do their part. Now a man who requires no introduction the CEO of Cyberbiotics Halcyon Renard" The crowd roared louder than ever with approval.

John Canmore stepped aside as Halcyon Renard wheeled up to the podium, accompanied as usual by his unflappable personal assistant Preston Vogel. "Ladies and gentlemen it is good to see such a high turnout in spite of the unseasonably chilly weather" said Halcyon Renard, clearing his throat. "As many of you already know my darling daughter Janine was abducted, and presumably murdered, by a gang of mutants on the afternoon of February 6th. Since that terrible day I have been attempting to make sense of this senseless tragedy. With the help of Clayton Kellerman, and most recently Mr. and Mrs. Canmore, I have come to the unpleasant realization that as long as nonhumans remain unfettered any one of us could end up like my daughter. Anyone of use can be attacked, mutilated, tortured or even killed with impunity. Why do I make such a bold statement you may ask? Because my eyes have been opened, I now clearly see the danger we all face. These creatures do not fear our laws or respect our law enforcement officers. A mere three weeks after my daughter's apparent senseless murder, one of these creatures, a mutant, even gloated about the crime right in front of me. It was at that moment that I decided no more. If the proper authorities refuse to do what must be done, then God help me I will! Even if I must do so on my own, my daughter and all those who have been victimized by these creatures will not have suffered in vain. A month ago I pledged a third of my total personal fortune to creating the armed wing of the People for Normalcy, which henceforth shall be known as the PFN-SOR; People for Normalcy's Soldiers of Restoration. My only wish is that I was well enough to join you on this honorable quest, alas I am not. After an exhaustive global search for the best leadership possible John and Karai Canmore were selected from a large pool of well qualified candidates. John & Karai were chosen not only because of their demonstrated combat abilities, tactical skills and strategic minds but also because of their unwavering devotion to our cause. Now who amongst you will join us in ending this menace once and for all?"

The crowd reaction following Halcyon Renard's speech was off the chart. The noise was nearly rock concert level. It had been years since any political, or semi-political, party had generated such a popular response at a rally in NYC, and Detective Matt Bluestone was worried.

"I had better let the Gargoyles and Turtles know about this ASAP." He said under his breath, watching the organizers handing out hundreds of bagged, pre-made SOR uniforms kits to the clamoring masses, from his vantage point behind a police barricade which separated the rally from the rest of Central Park.

The Docks just after sunset

She hadn't eaten in four days. Her stomach rumbled with intense hunger. The trip from Japan had been harsher than she first imagined. It was worth it she would soon be safe, she hoped. Her brother Hamato would look after her. He would protect her. She was his dear Moonflower after all, his sweet little Datura. She must find him. Her yellow skinned, horned head peaked out from between several crates aboard the freighter she had stowed away on. The young web wing gargoyle surveyed the scene, making sure the coast was clear before she glided off the ship. She was weak from lack of nourishment, weaker than she could ever remember being. She knew there was no way she could defend herself from a serious attack, even her extra talent in Ninjutsu likely wouldn't save her.

Over two hours later Obento and his charge the alien rabbit Usagi Yojimbo were enjoying a peaceful stroll. The pair was returning home after enjoying a night at the opera. Obento was a huge fan of both the East Asian and Italy variants of this art form. Usagi Yojimbo for his part still didn't quite grasp the intricacies of the genre. Usagi Yojimbo stoically endured what he considered a terribly noisy form of entertainment, because his human friend and master enjoyed it so.

"Halt!" commanded a tall masked man in the navy blue and forest green outfit, with a dark brown hooded cape. "There has been nonhuman activity reported in this neighborhood. We are conducting random spot searches of anyone who appears suspicious. You", said the Costumed Figure pointing a finger at the cloaked Usagi Yojimbo, as a large group wearing near identical uniforms, minus the brown cape, surrounded Obento & Usagi Yojimbo, "remove your hood, now!"

"What is the meaning of this outrageous behavior" said Obento, getting in the Costumed Figure's face. "My friend suffers from severe agoraphobia. In laymen terms his is painfully shy. Why should he remove his hood, making his condition worse in the process, just because you people say so?"

"I already told you why" replied the Costumed Figure, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "If you need another reason, I hope this will suffice." The Costumed Figure pulled out a pistol, pointing it directly at Obento & Usagi Yojimbo. "Now, please do as I say before things escalate any further."

"We will not!" said Obento defiantly.

"Maybe we should master" offered Usagi Yojimbo, placing his hand on Obento's shoulder.

"Never, now let us go at once!" Obento demanded of the group surrounding the pair.

The Costumed Figure saw the furry, white hand of Usagi Yojimbo before Obento could brush it off his shoulder. The white eye holes of his mask narrowing their color matched that of the circle of thorns which was painted across the chest of each costumed figure. The Costumed Figure shot Obento without further warning in the chest at point blank range. The elderly man slumped against a nearby wall, slowly sliding down it until he lay motionless on the sidewalk.

"The one in the robe is likely some type of mutant. It is certainly a nonhuman, attack!" ordered the Costumed Figure.

Before Usagi Yojimbo could recover from the shock of seeing his master shot in cold blood the other costumed figures fell upon him with unrelenting fury. His main thought was to protect Obento from further harm, using his body as a shield to do so. He absorbed a plethora of punches, kicks, elbow drops, knee drops, and hits with various types of blunt objects until he was a bruised, blooded and battered mess. He was barely holding onto conciseness.

The young female gargoyle known as Datura knew she shouldn't get involved in the fight unfolding below her. She was weak enough that the bad guys down there could really hurt her if they wanted. Still they were savagely beating the old human and, what she assumed from TV shows was a, rabbit mutant. If she didn't intervene the costumed thugs might even kill the unlucky pair. Not allowing herself another second of doubt Datura dive-bombed the gathering.

The costumed figures scattered upon her knocking two of them off their feet. Datura didn't have time to relish her minor victory before she was spin kicked in the face by another costumed figured, this one obvious female. Before Datura could get up she found herself, along with Usagi Yojimbo, in an electrified net. A jolt of several hundred volts later and both were subdued.

"Good work troops" said the first Costumed Figure, removing his mask to reveal the grinning countenance of John Canmore. "I'm especially proud of you my dear. You really showed these new recruits how it is done."

The Costumed Figure who had delivered the decisive blow to poor Datura removed her mask to reveal an attractive, young Asian woman with short black hair. "Just doing my duty" she said, looking down at the two nonhumans with disgust.

"C'mon people let's take our catch back to headquarters. Karai my darling, can you handle the rest of the patrol without me?" asked John Canmore.

"Of course, and I'll try not to hog all the fun. See you at headquarters" said Karai with a wicked grin.

St. Damien's Cathedral later that evening

"While most people won't harm you, because honestly they are afraid of you, I feel these Soldiers of Restoration will if given the chance" Detective Matt Bluestone explained to the group which comprised all the accounted for members of the Gargoyle Clan and Turtle Family as well as Bishop Guillermo Maza. "The guy who is leading this new armed wing of the PFN is a real piece of work. He is a former mercenary named John Canmore, eldest child of the infamous killer of communists Charles Canmore. This guy is little better than a glorified mass murder."

"Then why don't you just arrest him?" asked Lexington innocently. "He has made public threats against nonhumans like us after all."

"Detective Bluestone can't arrest him for threatening us" said Seraphina, shaking her head. "Because nonhumans are not protected under the law, these people can technically do whatever they want to us. They'd get in more trouble mistreating their pets than they would if they killed one of us in cold blood."

"Seraphina is right" said Mona Lisa, a sudden shiver running through her body. "If they attack us out on the street we could be the ones in trouble if we fight back."

"Yet ye call yerselves a civilized society" said Hudson looking at Detective Matt Bluestone in disbelief.

"I'm sorry" said Detective Matt Bluestone dejectedly. "I wish there was more I could do, my hands are tied here. At the very least I thought you should know what is happening. I'll see myself out."

"Don't sweat it Detective Matt dude" said Michelangelo. "We know you're trying your best."

"Yeah Matt" said Broadway who, like Michelangelo, had grown especially fond of the human detective. "We don't blame you for this. We are all just, frustrated with the situation is all. That and being unable to find Goliath, Elisa and the others, it has been a bad few months."

"You don't suppose this new group could have anything to do with the disappearance of the others, do you?" wondered Brooklyn aloud.

"Thankfully I think there is little chance of that. Reason one being the PFN wasn't fully created until after their disappearance. Reason two if PFN or anyone associated with it, had captured or worse yet executed five nonhumans especially those as prominent as our missing friends, they'd have been all over the media bragging about it. Whatever happened to the others, I'm sure it didn't involve PFN or PFN-SOR" reasoned Detective Matt Bluestone, the other breathing a collective sigh of relief.

"At least things can't get any worse" Raphael joked.

"I think you spoke to soon" said Lexington pointing at the TV by Hudson's easy chair.

"That is right folks tune in tomorrow night to On Trial where I Clayton Keller will oversee the first live executions of two nonhumans who were caught murdering local merchant Mr. Obento" said Clayton Keller as pictures of Obento, Usagi Yojimbo and Datura flashed across the screen in rapid succession.

"We can't let them hurt Usagi dudes & dudettes" Michelangelo blurted out. "Besides there is no way our cool little bunny friend would ever hurt Obento, dude thought the world of him."

"Michelangelo is right, this stinks of setup" said Brooklyn. "After meeting both Obento and Usagi at Thanksgiving, seeing how close they were firsthand, there is no way I believe either could ever harm the other."

"Master Splinter, father, are you okay?" asked Mona Lisa, noting the troubled look on Splinter's face.

"That young gargoyle female, I'm not completely sure but I think she could very well be my surrogate baby sister Datura. I haven't seen her since I left Japan decades ago. She was about two years old then. Because gargoyles age at about half the rate of humans she'd be thirteen or fourteen now" Splinter explained. "I don't understand what she is doing her. She should be with the rest of the Ishimura Clan back in our homeland of Japan."

"Aye whoever she be, ye sister er not, she and Usagi both won't be around much longer 'less we do something ta stop tis barbaric trial" said Hudson.

"People before you take the law into your own hands think about what you are doing. What the possible ramifications of your actions could be" cautioned Detective Matt Bluestone.

"Detective surely the authorities will not permit such a heinous act to be perpetrated in front of the masses?" asked Bishop Guillermo Maza, outrage smoldering in his eyes. "The young gargoyle looks like she is only a child, perhaps twelve or thirteen at most. It is bad enough they are murdering the poor, gentle rabbit man but what kind of society allows a child to be brutally murdered live on television as a cheap form of entertainment?"

"I know, I know" said Detective Matt Bluestone, throwing up his hands in the air. "This entire situation is beyond outrageous. Because of the current lack of nonhuman protection laws however the only thing we in the police can legally do is try to shut the broadcast down based upon anti-obscenity laws. Which I fear will only keep the PFN-SOR from broadcasting the murders, not from carrying them out if they so desire."

"On behalf of the Church I will lodge an official protest decrying the immorality and cruelty of these acts with both Pack Media Studios and City Hall first thing tomorrow morning" declared Bishop Guillermo Maza.

"Do you think that is wise Bishop?" asked Detective Matt Bluestone.

"What do you mean?" said Bishop Guillermo Maza.

"In the current political and social climate if you come out publically as a strong advocate of nonhuman rights, there could be a serious backlash" explained Detective Matt Bluestone. "Certain officials within your own Church have recently come out in favor of segregation of humans and nonhumans. I hate to see you become embroiled in this controversy, if for no other reason than if by some chance you lost either your position outright or some of your privileges who else would protect the Gargoyles by giving them a safe place to sleep during the day?"

"I never considered that" said Bishop Guillermo Maza, clearly troubled by the implications of the Detective's logic. "There must be something I can do?"

"Keep the home fires burning Bishop, we'll take care of this" said Raphael, sharpening his twin sai.

"Once again I must advise you against taking the law into your own hands in this situation" said Detective Matt Bluestone. "There is a good chance I won't be able to help you if something goes wrong."

"We can't allow Usagi and Datura, if it is indeed her, to be murdered" retorted Splinter. "If the proper authorities cannot, or will not, help them we must."

"I understand. I wish you luck" said Detective Matt Bluestone, leaving the Cathedral.

"Guys how are we going to find Usagi and Datura?" asked Mona Lisa. "Just because Kellerman is going to preside over their 'trial' tomorrow night doesn't mean they are currently being held at Pack Media Studios."

"Aye good point las" said Hudson, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "The villains could be keeping them anywhere."

"How do we find them man?" Michelangelo wondered aloud.

"I think it is high time I paid the owner of Pack Media Studios my old enemy Oroku Saki, the Shredder, a visit. Will one or more, of you be so kind as to provide me transportation to the TCRI Building?" Splinter asked, looking at the Gargoyles.

"Aye I'll take ye, it'll be my honor" said Hudson, bowing low.

"I'll accompany you" Seraphina said, stepping forward.

"The rest of you remain here until our return, unless we contact you" said Splinter, turning his attention towards the others.

"Aye" said Hudson to the three young male gargoyles "Do as he says lads. We'll return er soon as we can."

Castle Wyvern atop the TCRI Building an hour later

"Shredder!" shouted Splinter standing atop a tower. His voice filled with a mixture of authority and determination, the sound of it echoing amongst the ancient spires and battlements of Wyvern Castle. Hudson and Seraphina each stood by his sides. "Shredder I know you are here, come out and face me! I demand satisfaction by the secret code of the Ninja, or do you have no honor left!?"

"How dare you question my honor freak!" Shredder bellowed, now standing on the opposite side of tower top, like Splinter, his henchmutants Rocksteady & Bebop each stood by his sides.

"You're right how dare I question your honor. It has been clear for years now you have none!" proclaimed Splinter edging ever closer to Shredder.

"Why have you violated my home by soiling it with your presence, and that of your equally revolting allies, Splinter? Have you grown weary of your meaningless existence? Do you seek your death? If so I shall enjoy granting your request?"

"Clayton Kellerman, the host of On Trial, I know he works for your company. By the code of Ninja honor I demand you tell me where he is holding our friend Usagi Yojimbo and my surrogate sister Datura at once!"

"Even if I knew, which I don't, where Kellerman and his charming new associates are keeping your fellow freaks do you honestly think I'd tell you anything? My advance is buy some tickets for the show tomorrow night. I hear it'll be a killer. I know I we won't miss it, will we boys?" said Shredder with a wink, Bebop & Rocksteady laughing heartily besides him.

"You're disgusting" said Seraphina, unable to hold her tongue any longer.

"Aye he is" agreed Hudson.

"As if I care what you freaks think of me" laughed Shredder. "Now leave my Castle before I lose my patience with you."

"We art going" said Hudson. "But someday we will reclaim what be rightfully ours."

"And someday I will make sure you answer for your many crimes, Shredder" said Splinter.

"When that time comes, if it ever does, I'll be right here waiting. Now leave at once!"

Minutes later Shredder was fuming in Krang's laboratory. "How dare that miserable rodent impugn my honor! I should have destroyed him and his friends on the spot! I should have taught them the error of their ways, the price that all must pay who insult the Shredder!"

"Calm down Shredder" said Krang, who was looking into some type of binocular shaped view finder. "There are more important things than…."

"Nothing is more important than my revenge Krang!" Shredder yelled, interrupting the alien brain from Dimension X. "How many times must I tell you this!"

"We have a golden opportunity here don't screw it up for personal reasons Shredder!" Krang continued, ignoring his partner's anger. "Tomorrow night, starting at 10:00 pm, all those misguided do-gooders will be occupied with saving the two creatures that rabble the PFN have captured."

"Your point being what?" ask Shredder, obviously still angry.

"My point being this" said Krang, removing his eyes from the view finder and looking at Shredder. "Coincidently tomorrow evening at almost the same time a star fighter of the Glaxxon Federation will be passing by Earth. This particular vessel is carrying an extremely powerful crystal known as the Fire Star, which was allegedly created as a direct by-product of the Big Bang. The Fire Star is said to possess energy equivalent to a thousand average sized stars. Best yet it is cold fusion based meaning tremendous quantities of raw energy can be produced and then harnessed with little, or no, wasted potential or excess high generated. With the Fire Star I could maintain a permanent transdimensional matter/data stream link with any dimension we want, we could even theoretically breakdown and destroy the dimensional barriers all together if we so desire!" Krang was rapidly rubbing together his pink tentacles with unrestrained glee. "My plan is that while our traditional, Earth bound, enemies are distracted with saving their kit & kin we shoot down this Glaxxon star fighter. We then neutralize the Glaxxons, by whatever means necessary, steal the Fire Star and bring it here before anyone else is the wiser." 

"Wait just one minute Krang wouldn't the rest of this 'Glaxxon Federation' come looking for the missing Fire Star and their comrades?"

"The Glaxxons are from a neighboring galactic super cluster, they very seldom transverse the Milky Way Galaxy. It is highly unlikely they will return here anytime soon. It will probably be many months or even years before we see hide or hair of them again. By that time, using the capacities of Fire Star, we will have already achieved virtual invincibility!"

"Finally we could conquer this World!" said Shredder, rubbing his own hands together with evil delight. "I will ready Night Flyer and a contingent of Steel Clan Robots at once Krang. By this time tomorrow we will be within striking distance of ruling the Earth!"

The upscale apartment of April O'Neil & Casey Jones the next morning

"I knew Clayton Kellerman hated nonhumans, he's always been a sensationalist. I never dreamed he'd do something like this" said April O'Neil, shaking her head in disbelief. "Airing a live execution, in prime time no less, as a former TV journalist I find it deplorable."

"Despicable as he is, Clayton Kellerman isn't our main problem anymore" said Casey Jones, sipping his coffee. "Based upon my own research the couple he's hired to lead the SOR John and Karai Canmore are two certified fruitcakes. I doubt either could pass the standard psychiatric evaluations police departments, security firms and most militaries us to screen out 'undesirables', remember this coming from a guy who use to run around in hockey gear." Casey finished, directing a kooky look towards April who giggled. "There is crazy, there is truly crazy, then there is Canmore crazy. I wouldn't trust these two, no way no how."

"The question is what can we do about it?" asked Raphael, eating some pancakes.

"Short of breaking out Usagi and the possible Datura, I fear there is nothing else we can do" said April, with a frown. "You know I love you guys like family, no matter what me and Casey will always be there for you."

"That might not be such a good idea" said Mona Lisa, playfully sneaking some pancakes off Raphael's plate. "Casey isn't your boss Halcyon Renard a massive financial supporter of the PFN? We'd hate it if you got in trouble over supporting us."

"Yeah, Mr. Renard has been pumping tons of cash into the cause ever since Armaggon kidnapped his daughter along with Foster Fenwick. I was hoping we could have found her alive, showed the old man not all nonhumans are bad" said Casey. "No matter what, like April said, we won't turn our backs of you. We owe you all so much. No matter how Mr. Renard feels murdering Usagi and this gargoyle girl is wrong. It will not bring his daughter or Foster Fenwick back. Usagi is the gentlest being I have ever met, no way he would hurt anyone especially not his own best friend and guardian Obento. If Mr. Renard fires me for doing the right thing, so be it."

April spontaneously hugged and kissed Casey, he quickly returned the favor. "Which is why I love you, isn't he a great guy?"

"The greatest dudette" said Michelangelo, cheerfully munching on some sugar coated cereal. Mona Lisa gave Raphael a quick peck on the cheek, and the two hugged. Briefly Michelangelo wondered what it would be like if he were in a relationship. Would be ever find true love, was it even possible? Both Raphael and Leonardo had lucked out in that department. There were not many eligible mutant girls out there. The chances of meeting one and hitting it off must be like a gazillion to one. He realistically had a far greater chance of winning the lottery than of finding true love.

Pack Media Studios 10:00 pm

The Gargoyle Clan and Turtle Family took up positions in the rafters of the large studio and waited. It had been far more difficult for them to sneak into Pack Media Studios than they had figured. The security around the place was very tight. Luckily the building had a sub-basement entrance that provided access to the sewers. On their way to the rafters they had nearly been discovered several times. It was only quick thinking, and combat harden, stealth skill that had avert disaster. This was in spite of arriving nearly an hour before the show was scheduled to air. After what seemed like an eternity of suspense below them Clayton Kellerman stepped up onto the stage, microphone in hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen tonight we take our first, yet vital, step on a journey that will recover our world! Tonight we show the nonhuman hordes that we will not go down without a fight! Tonight they will be taught respect for our laws, for our society! Tonight we the PFN will do what the authorities are clearly incapable of doing! Tonight we say this far, no further! Tonight the line is drawn here! Tonight we eliminate two vicious creatures that preyed upon the weakness of a defenceless, old man. Two creatures which took him by surprise like the cowards all their kind are! They gave him no chance, no consideration, no mercy! Tonight we pay them back in kind!"

A spotlight appeared illuminating the middle of the stage where Usagi Yojimbo and Datura kneeled on their knees. Their hands and legs where bound with a series of chains. Their mouths were gagged. Beside Usagi Yojimbo stood John Canmore, while beside Datura stood Karai Canmore, both humans were wearing their SOR uniforms minus the masks. Both Karai and John held a katana blade in one hand, an automatic pistol in the other. With a signal from Clayton Kellerman the two humans cut free Usagi Yojimbo's and Datura's gags.

"Nonhuman creatures you are to die for the brutal, cold blooded murder of local merchant Mr. Obento. What have you to say for yourselves?" said Clayton Kellerman, addressing the two cowering nonhumans.

"I did not kill Obento" said Usagi Yojimbo, in his usual stilted pattern of speech. "Obento was my friend and master. I would never dishonor myself by harming him, or any other innocent. It was this man who killed my master" Usagi Yojimbo looked up at John Canmore. "This man and several others dressed like him accosted me and my master while we returned home from an opera. This man shot my master for no reason, this man and his helpers, are the true evil ones." By way of response John Canmore delivered a slap so hard to Usagi Yojimbo's head that the latter nearly toppled over onto the floor from the impact.

"Lying nonhuman scum" hissed John Canmore starring daggers at the now disorientated Usagi Yojimbo.

"What about you?" Clayton Kellerman asked, turning his attention towards Datura whose eyes were already filling with tears. "Are you going to tell us the truth, or will you lie like your friend? Think long and hard before you answer."

"Sir I didn't murder anyone. I would never do that. My Clan always taught me it was wrong to take a life outside of combat."

"Ah, you said outside of combat. What do you mean by combat, hmmm? Maybe you consider ambushing an old man who you then force into fighting you and your friend, two on one, combat?"

"Sir I didn't engage any old man in combat. I saw an old man and the bunny man who is here with me now being beaten by a group wearing costumes like these two here" Datura eyes darted between Karai and John Canmore, her voice fell to a whisper. "These two are bad people. They destroyed my Clan back in Japan."

"I've had enough of your lies!" roared Clayton Kellerman. "John, Karai the time has come end this!"

"No!" said April O'Neil jumping out of her seat in the front row. She was soon standing on the stage beside the startled Clayton Kellerman. "You can't do this!"

"Security get this woman out of here!" Clayton Kellerman ordered.

"All of you think! Do you really want the blood of these two beings, these two people, on your hands! Dear God one is just a child! Do you really want to kill a child!? What have we come to?" said April O'Neil the security guards rapidly approaching her position.

"Ms. O'Neil is right!" declared Bishop Guillermo Maza, getting out of this own seat and climbing up onto the stage. "This is immoral! Please do not standby an allow this to happen! Do not allow fear and hatred to rule your hearts! I beg you all do not let this travesty of justice, of morality, happen here in our time and our city!"

"Bishop" said Halcyon Renard wheeling himself onto the stage via a ramp that ran along the left of the structure. The ever present Preston Vogel by his side. "Creatures like these abducted and murdered by daughter. They did it for fun Bishop, one of those involved even admitted as much to my face. These creatures must pay. An example must be made!"

"Mr. Renard while I morn for your loss and deeply feel your pain murdering these two beings here tonight will neither bring back your daughter or make the World a better place. Please look into you hear Mr. Renard, do not answer violence with violence, injustice with injustice. As a great man once said Mr. Renard. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that" said Bishop Guillermo Maza.

"Preposterous" snorted John Canmore. "It looks like it is up to us honey" John Canmore exchanged a nod with Karai Canmore, each raising their katana blades in preparation to deliver a decapitating swipe. "Say bye bye nonhuman scum!"

"Don't!" screamed April O'Neil a split second before the entire Pack Media Studio complex went dark. In the resulting panic a series of screams were heard followed by several gun shots. By the time the power was restored Usagi Yojimbo and Datura were gone.

"They've escaped!" Karai Canmore said, eyeing April and the Bishop, "Thanks to these two, providing the necessary distraction."

"I have no idea what you are talking about young lady" said Bishop Guillermo Maza.

"Don't play dumb with us Bishop. It is clear you and your little friend here arranged the rescue of the nonhuman murders. Bravo, you pulled it off without a hitch" said John Canmore, with mock applause. "Are the cameras still rolling?"

"Nah" said a nearby technician. "The feed was cut about a minute before the power interruption"

"Good" said John Canmore, leaning forward and whispering in the Bishop's ear in a low but clear voice. "You'll, along with your friend, pay for this interference padre never doubt it. Karai let's go, we've wasted enough of our valuable time here. Clayton, Halcyon, Preston see you three at the next rally." The Canmores then exited through the curtain that hung behind the stage.

The Turtle's Secret Lair an hour later

"Welcome to my humble home my sister, my little moonbeam." Splinter said, Dutura embracing him.

"I knew you'd save me Hamato" said Dutura, releasing her embrace and viewing her surroundings with awe. "I can't believe I'm actually in the home of the legendary Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles you all are a legend in Japan. After that villain Oroku Saki took over the human part of the Foot Clan we gargoyle members had no choice, we had to leave the prefecture. Oroku Saki, or Shredder as he now calls him, tried to wipe us out brother. Before the Clan fled many of us were smashed during the day."

"That fiend" said Splinter. "He swore to me on his Ninja honor the daytime slayings would end if I left Japan forever."

"Not surprising that he lied, given the character of the man" said Seraphina.

"Aye he has no honor" said Hudson.

"Boy I'd like to teach ol' Shredder Head a lesson, along with those Canmores. A lesson they won't soon forget" Raphael fumed, clenching his fists. "Show 'em they can't get away with brutalizing us 'freaks'."

"There time will come. Evil cannot endure forever. Tell my Datura, there is one thing I still do not understand. Why my dear are you here now, after all these years?" Splinter questioned the young, yellow web wing gargoyle.

"Because I have nowhere else to go, Hamato" explained Datura. "Karai and John Canmore destroyed what was left of our family we are all that remains of Foot Clan of Ishimura my brother. The Canmores, and their associates hunted us down like animals. They pursued us relentlessly for months until only I remained. The remaining elders always said if we younglings ever needed help to seek you and your students out. I knew I'd be safe if I could find you, so I stowed away on a ship bound for New York" Datura was now sobbing.

"Dear Lord" gasped Mona Lisa.

"That does it" said Raphael. "We have to stop these Canmores and the PFN-SOR. Most of our enemies in the past have just wanted us out of the way, not so with these creeps their whole mission is our deaths. I say we don't give them that chance. I say we get them first!"

"Raphael no!" said Splinter. "We will not sink to their level of depravity. We are warriors, not murderers!"

"Aye Splinter be right" said Hudson. "We can't do such a thing it is against our very natures."

"Even if they deserve it?" said Brooklyn. "I'm sorry, but at this point they earned death many times over."

"That isn't for us to decide" said Mona Lisa.

"Mona Lisa is right" said Seraphina. "We can't start killing whomever we please, especially outside of combat. Even then it should never be the first option but always the last."

"I just wish the PFN-SOR felt the same way" grumbled Broadway.

"My Master Obento is dead" said Usagi Yojimbo, speaking for the first time since being rescued from Pack Media Studios. "Can any of you give him back his life? I know you cannot, nor can I. If we cannot give life we should not take it away."

"Usagi is right dudes and dudettes" said Michelangelo. "We should think long and hard before we take that step. I hope we never have to take it at all."

"Michelangelo my son you are truly wise" said Splinter. "Usagi, Datura both of you are welcome here as long as you wish to stay. I encourage both of you please consider formally joining our family. My friends I think it would be best if the rest of you remain here during your sleep phase this coming day. I sense our troubles may be far from over, and you would be safest here with us."

"Aye" said Hudson, "I tend ta agree with ye Splinter. We will remain here with you until at least sunset."

The TCRI Building the wee hours

The operation against the Glaxxon star fighter had gone off without a hitch. Using a powerful laser array which was part of a newly launched high orbiting TCRI defense satellite, Krang had shot down the unsuspecting Glaxxons. Once the star fighter was critically damaged and grounded Night Flyer commanding ten Steel Clan Robots attacked the Glaxxons, quickly subduing them with a combination of his sonic screech and laser fire. The incapacitated Glaxxons were immediately sent to the a new TCRI run Nonhumans Rehabilitation Centre and placed under the tender care of Dr. Anton Sevarius, their ship likewise was sent to a TCRI research facility specializing in reverse engineering. The Fire Star itself was soon installed in Krang's lab. Yes, things were looking up for the dastardly duo of Shredder & Krang things were indeed looking up.

The End


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimers

All characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All characters appearing in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987 series copyright by Murakami Wolf Swenson, Inc. All other TMNT related characters are copyright IDW comics. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holders.

All original characters, such as the Intechnovores, are the property of Celgress.

TMNT/Gargoyles Season Two Avalon and Beyond Episode Eight: Intechnovorious

By

Celgress

"Now, Davros has created a machine creature, a monster which will terrorise and destroy millions and millions of lives and lands throughout all eternity. He has given this machine a name, a Dalek. It is a word new to you, but for a thousand generations it is a name that will bring fear and terror."

The Doctor - Doctor Who, Genesis of the Daleks (1975)

"The Borg is the ultimate user. They're unlike any threat your Federation has ever faced. They're not interested in political conquest, wealth or power as you know it. They're simply interested in your ship, its technology. They've identified it as something they can consume."

Q – Star Trek the Next Generation, Q Who? (1989)

The Technodrome Late-April 1995 Earth time

"This isn't Earth" said Elisa looking at the area of red hued space sprinkled with dim stars that was displayed on the massive view screen that the transdimensional portal doubled as when not in direct use.

"Its' Dimension X" said Leonardo recognizing the area immediately. "Donnie why are we in Dimension X? I thought you set the coordinates for Earth?"

"I did" said Donatello, anxiously double checking the equipment. "We shouldn't be here. Everything indications that I entered the proper space-time coordinates. We should be back on Earth, just outside NYC in fact. I don't understand what could've gone wrong. No, matter I'll just reopen the super transdimensional portal and we'll be on our way."

"What is that?!" shouted Othello, pointing towards a massive silver colored, sea urchin shaped something that had unexpectedly appeared on the view screen.

Whatever it was it was huge easily dwarfing the Technodrome in size. It soon filled the entire view screen. The Technodrome violently rocked, knocking the heroes off their feet, as the Sea Urchin Shaped Something collided with the structure it's spikes pushing their way into the hull of the Technodrome, piercing clean through to the interior in several places. The overhead lights flickered as a klaxon wailed.

"Emergency, Emergency!" announced a monotone voice. "Warning multiple hull breaches detected hull integrity at 50% and falling! Warning the presence of multiple unidentified, potentially hostile, life forms detected!"

Getting back to his feet, along with the others, Donatello rapidly surveyed the nearest instrument panel. "Um guys the thing that hit us appears to be an alien vessel of some sort. What is more there are currently several hundred alien forms of an unknown type who are making their way here to the Portal Control Room."

"What do we do?" asked Angela, her eyes darting around nervously.

"We should take the fight to them" said King Arthur, drawing his sword from its' sheath.

"Hold on a sec" cautioned Leonardo. "We don't even know if these aliens are even 'hostile'. Maybe they crashed into us by accident?"

"Perhaps, but unlikely" said Donatello, "Unless their sensors are a heck of a lot less sensitive than our own."

"My point being" continued Leonardo. "We shouldn't just assume they are our enemies, certainly not without cause."

"We also can't wait in here until we are surrounded" rumbled Goliath. "If you are wrong, and these aliens do wish us harm getting trapped in here could end very badly for us all."

"Everyone take one of these" said Donatello, removing a cache of laser guns from a compartment below the portal screen, "for close encounters of the unfriendly kind."

"What manner of weapon are these?" wondered Desdemona marveling at the laser rifle in her hands.

"It is called a gun" explained Goliath, as everyone except Leonardo, Donatello, Venus and Elisa listened intently to the Clan Leader. "Crudely put it works on the same basic principle of the hunting crossbows we had back in Scotland during our youth, though it doesn't to be reloaded after each firing."

"We just pull the trigger mechanism to fire, brother?" asked Othello, examining his own pistol.

"Exactly my brother" replied Goliath, with a quick nod.

"What does it fire" asked Angela, taking a rifle from Donatello.

"Beams of concentrated energy" said Goliath.

"Is it magical?" asked King Arthur, taking a pistol in awe.

"No, it is just really advanced technology. Like Goliath alluded an evolution of the crossbow" answered Donatello. "We don't have time for this these aliens, whatever their intentions may be, will be in here before we know it unless we do something."

"Venus are you picking up anything psychically on these aliens, their intentions?" Leonardo said, turning his attention towards the female turtle.

The group watched the young shinobi awaiting her response with rapt attention. "I sense a burning desire to, consume."

"Consume what exactly Venus us, the Technodrome?" asked Leonardo.

"Both" was the chilling answer Venus delivered, her eyes closed, her mind deep in concentration. "They are the ultimate predator. They are the harbingers of total destruction. They are the locusts. They are the swarm. They leave desolation in their wake. They are the Intechnovores!" Venus' eyes snapped open, her expression one of absolute terror. "We must get out of here! We must escape!" Venus grabbed onto Leonardo, her voice frantic, her eyes filled with dread.

"Venus calm down" said Leonardo, trying to physically shake her out of the agitated state.

The sound of not so distant metal plates being torn apart drew everyone's attention to the closed doors that separated the Portal Room from the rest of the Technodrome. The groaning and wrenching stopped as abruptly as it had begun. Everyone exchanged a series of worried looks.

"Guys listen carefully" said Donatello, handing out several chronometers he had found in the compartment along with the weapons. "Because of the loss of main power the transdimensional portal generators will take about an hour before I can open even a small portal to Earth. No matter what you must hold them off, preferably keep them out of the Patrol Room altogether, until then. I'll remain behind, guard the portal screen itself. I'll also start broadcasting a general distress call on all open frequencies. Who knows, maybe somebody will actually answer. In the meantime I recommend we set out guns to their maximum fire power settings" Donatello checked the settings on the two rifles he had kept for himself. He then showed the others how to set their weapons for maximum fire power. "Now go everybody, good luck."

"Donnie I'm leaving Venus here with you" said Leonardo, carefully sitting the still extremely distraught Venus down on the floor by the portal screen. "She is in no position to help us right now, please look after her."

"Leonardo please don't go, I beg you" said Venus, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

"I'm sorry my love, but I must" said Leonardo, slowly backing away from her.

"You know I will Leo" said Donatello, pulling Leonardo into a quick hug each brother patting the other on the back. "Stay safe bro."

"You to bro" said Leonardo, heading out the doors along with the others. Closing the doors behind them the group surveyed the empty hallway.

"Okay people we have only an hour to keep these Intechnovores at bay, how hard can it be?" said Elisa rechecking her rifles levels with a small grin.

Two floors later the group came face to face with their adversaries. Approaching a typical double sided security door the group was startled when dozens of sharp, glistening, metallic fingers pierced the door panels tearing them apart and prying the open the door where it joined the wall. Soon the entire edifice lay in pieces on the floor. What replaced the door was three dozen living nightmares. The Intechnovores each had four limps, two of which they walked on, with six digits comprised of four fingers with two thumbs. Each Intechnovore stood a slightly hunched over five feet tall. More than anything else they resembled human sized bipedal beetle like insects with shiny, silver colored metallic skin and compound pale blue gem like eyes. It was difficult to visually tell if they were artificial or biological life forms. Whatever their exact nature one thing was certain by the high pitched screech they admitted upon seeing the heroes they were indeed very hostile to all other creatures. The Intechnovores barreled towards the heroes at high speed, their screechs unceasing.

"Halt right now or we'll be forced to shoot you. These weapons are set at maximum output. I repeat halt at once or we will shoot!" commanded Elisa with authority.

If the Intechnovores had understood the threat they didn't heed it. The heroes, having no other choice fired their laser blasters into the alien horde. One after another the Intechnovores fell to the floor, either dead or stunned our heroes were unsure which. Several times it took more than once shot to incapacitate the aliens. Still they came crawling over the bodies of their fallen. In short order the roughly three dozen Intechnovores who had initially crowded into hallway behind the open door lay at the heroes' feet and still more came. Over the next half hour the heroes easily slayed or stunned, they were still unsure which, over three hundred Intechnovores. The large hallway was piled high with Intechnovore corpses. The tide of new Intechnovores had at last diminished to a trickle.

After dispatching yet another Intechnovore Leonardo checked the power levels of his rifle. "I don't know about the rest of you, but my laser blasters is just about out of juice."

"Same here" said Elisa, glancing at her the power levels of her own rifle.

"Juice?" Desdemona questioned looking at Goliath.

"He means we are almost out of ammunition" Goliath explained.

"Here please take mine" said King Arthur, handing his pistol to Leonardo. "I have only fired the infernal thing twice, thus it should still have plenty of this ammunition of which you speak."

"Thanks King Arthur" said Leonardo, gladly taking the pistol.

"I think we got them all" said Angela, excitedly noting that no more Intechnovores had entered the hall during the past few minutes.

"Could she be correct brother? Could we have vanquished them all already?" Othello asked Goliath.

"I am unsure brother, perhaps we have" said Goliath, gesturing toward the piles of slain Intechnovores that littered the hallway.

An Intechnovore hand shot out of the pile of corpses on which Goliath, Othello & Desdemona stood. The hand encircled Goliath's left ankle. It took every ounce of strength Goliath & Othello possessed between them to free Goliath from the Intechnovore's clutches. Within seconds the piles of dead Intechnovores were withering and squirming with new life. The entire scene was like something out of a horror movie. Slowly, inextricably dozens of Intechnovores crawled out from deep within the piles of their dead.

"By Merlin's beard what is happening!?" gasped King Aruther.

"Its' impossible" said Elisa, with a mixture of disbelief and disgust. "They were dead."

"Somehow their recovering from the laser blasts" explained Leonardo, watching the revived Intechnovores a terrible realization dawned upon him. "They must be able to regenerate damage somehow, or perhaps we only ever stunned them. Whichever the case it is obvious the first ones we took down have fully recovered. In another ten minutes or so this chamber will be crawling with these things again."

Elisa zapped a revived Intechnovore which had just extracted itself from a nearby pile as it leaped towards her screeching with renewed furry. Elisa noted it took a full three lasers blasters to take the thing down this time around, rather than the usual one or at most two. "I have some more bad news. They are building up a resistance to our lasers. I had to hit that last one three times before it went down. We had better retreat." Goliath and Leonardo exchanged a glance before nodding in agreement.

"Fallback everyone!" yelled King Arthur, once again brandishing his sword.

King Arthur, Leonardo, Goliath & Othello, who had drawn his own sword tossing away his empty laser pistol, provided cover as the others retreated. By now the original three dozen Intechnovores had freed themselves from the piles. Screeching their terrible battle cry the creatures ran, jumped and crawled their way toward the four heroes. In less than a minute Goliath had exhausted his laser own laser gun. Now only Leonardo had a projectile weapon. Once they were sure the others were out of danger, the others having just left the chamber. The four heroes backed away from the approaching horde as quickly as they dared. It was no use just before they reached the doorway, through which they had entered the large hallway, nearly forty minutes before, dozens of screeching Intechnovores fell upon them from seemingly every possible angle.

Each of the four heroes, except Leonardo who kept blasting away with his laser, was dog piled by the Intechnovores. The Intechnovores stabbed their clawed fingers deep into the bodies of their foes gouging out chunks of flesh. Goliath took the worst of it, only having his bare hands to defend himself with and wearing no armor of any kind, he was bite in several places the corrosive saliva of the Intechnovores burning small holes into his body. Leonardo was the last to fall. Once his laser was out of power the Intechnovores swarmed him like they had the others. Leonardo's twin blades shattering against the skin of the Intechnovores as had the blade of Othello before him, only Aruthur's sword had resisted this fate merely bouncing off the hides of his attackers rather than breaking apart. If not for what happened next the four heroes would certainly have perished.

Four heavily armed figures dressed head to toe in black body armor, including helmets with visors, descended from a freshly blown hole in the ceiling. Each Armored Figure held a bulky rifle in one hand. The second their feet touched the floor the Armored Figures let loose from their guns an intense shower of bluish-white energy pellets that upon impact generated a series of small explosions that literally tore the Intechnovores to pieces. Two of the Armored Figures then helped the heroes to their feet while the other two Armored Figures blasted the piles of reviving Intechnovores destroying a good percentage. The Armored Figures dragged the heroes through the doorway, closing the door behind them.

"Thank you for rescuing us" said Leonardo, the least injured of the four heroes, while gulping down several large breaths. "Who are you?"

"We are the ones who answered your distress call" stated the closest Armored Figure bluntly.

"Lay off Lash" said another of the Armored Figures, removing the helmet to reveal the cute face of the Neutrino girl Kala. "Its' been awhile Leonardo. Is Michelangelo with you?"

"That it has, no Michelangelo is thankfully safe back on Earth along with Raphael" said Leonardo, in astonishment. "I suppose these other two are your brothers Dask and Zack?" Leonardo pointed towards the two as yet still unidentified Armored Figures.

"My brothers are dead" Kala replied, an unreadable expression on her face. "They were killed in the first months of the Intechnovore Wars nearly two standard solar years ago now."

"I'm sorry" said Leonardo, winching in pain from his lacerations. "What are those things, the Intechnovores, anyway? Where did they come from? I don't remember anything like them being here the last time we visited Dimension X."

"We don't know exactly where they came from" said the Armored Figure Kala had identified as Lash. "Like Kala said they arrived here about two solar years ago. They conquered over a third of Dimension X since then, including many worlds formerly held by Krang's Rock Warriors."

"They are the ultimate carnivores. They consume everything in their path. They stripped ever ship, every space station, every world they've come in contact with of resources" said the third Armored Figures.

"We must leave before more come" said the Fourth Armored Figure, the closed doors creaking under the strain of the relentless assault of the reviving Intechnovores.

"This way" said the Lash, gesturing in the direction an elevator. "I'll cover you, hurry!"

The rest of the group hurried into the elevator while Lash trailed several steps behind pointing his rifle this way and that. Lash was just about to join the others in the elevator when the floor panel below him burst outward, several Intechnovores pulled him into the crawl space below before he could react, at the same time the doorway to the hallway where the battle had taken place finally gave way. Scores upon scores of Intechnovores swarmed the hallway rushing head long towards the elevator. The Armored Figures, including Kala, shot a volley of energy pellets into the swarm before shutting the elevator doors. Soon the group was on the same floor as the Portal Room.

Rounding a corner at a run, or as close to it as the injured members of their party could manage, the group was confronted by a massive swarm of Intechnovores. "There must be four maybe five hundred of them" said Kala, her eyes filled with fear.

"Is there another way to where your friends are gathered?" asked one of the Armored Figures.

"Yes" whispered Leonardo, "right this way."

Thanks to the Turtles' knowledge of the interior layout of the Technodrome. The group used the service tunnels to reach the Portal Room. However before they got there tragedy struck yet again as one of the Armored Figures was ambushed by a swarm of Intechnovores who ripped their way into to the service tunnel. The swarm followed the rest of the group until they exited the service tunnel several minutes later. Entering the Portal Room, via the ceiling, Leonardo shouted at his brother.

"Donnie I hope the portal is ready because we have some uninvited guests that are right behind us"

"We aren't doing any better ourselves" said Donatello pointing towards the double doors at the other side of the Portal Room. The doors looked ready to buckle at any moment.

"Thank goodness you guys made it back" said Venus, embracing Leonardo.

"I'm happy to see you recovered" said Leonardo, enjoying the embrace in spite of his aching body.

"Goliath" gasped Elisa. "You look terrible!"

"Nothing a little stone sleep won't cure" said Goliath, smiling weakly.

"Lets' get out of here" said Kala. "They'll be time to talk when we are safe."

"Kala what are you doing here, where are Zack & Dask?" said Donatello.

"I said we can talk later when we are out of danger, lets' go!" shouted Kala.

"Oh right" said Donatello activating the Portal Screen. "All aboard, next stop Earth."

Everyone hurried through the portal. Soon only Kala, Donatello and the surviving Armored Figure remained. "Kala give me your weapon" commanded the Armored Figure, Kala did so without hesitation. "Now go, I will hold them off until the two of you are safely through then I'll blow the portal. We must make sure the Intechnovores do not learn of Earth, now go!"

"What about our own ship?" Kala asked.

"No doubt the Intechnovores have already consumed it by now" said the Armored Figure. At that moment the Portal Room doors gave in, followed by several ceiling panels collapsing. In a matter of seconds the Portal Room filled with Intechnovores. The gathering swarm set their sights on the Portal Screen. "I do not know how long I can hold them off, get out of here now!" The Armored Figure pushed Kala and Donatello through the portal before destroying it with a blast of gun fire.

The End


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimers

All characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All characters appearing in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987 series copyright by Murakami Wolf Swenson, Inc. All other TMNT related characters are copyright IDW comics. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holders.

All original characters are the property of Celgress.

TMNT/Gargoyles Season Two Avalon and Beyond Episode Nine: Joy and Despair

By

Celgress

"Is this a curse or a blessing that we give?"

Two Thousand Years (1993) Billy Joel

The Turtles' Secret Lair late April 1995 night

The gargoyle known as Lexington entered yet another set of space time coordinates into Donatello's transdimensional portal. Lexington triple checked the coordinates, making sure they were not ones that had already by ruled out in the past. The technologically inclined Lexington had become rather skilled at operating the complicated device, along with several other equally complex ones, since Donatello and the others had disappeared. Lexington looked over at Usagi Yojimbo the instant the current dimension was displayed on the portal screen. The extra-terrestrial rabbit slowly shook his head, a look of deep disappointment evident on his face. Lexington hated to see the once carefree Usagi Yojimbo so full of despair. It had only been a week since PFN-SOR had murdered Obento, and put Usagi Yojimbo and Datura on trial for the crime. It would likely be a very long time before Usagi Yojimbo recovered from what had happened, if he ever would.

"I'm sorry Usagi" Lexington said, looking at his disheartened friend. "That is the tenth dimension we've tried tonight, maybe we can do a few more after a lunch break, but after that I really should join the others on patrol sorry."

"That is alright Lexington" Usagi Yojimbo sighed. "After so many years stranded on this world I have almost given up hope of ever seeing my home again." Usagi Yojimbo left the lab crestfallen.

"I wish there was something more we could do for him" Datura said, from her position near Lexington.

During the past week the two young web wings had become inseparable. Their friendship had grown up so quickly that after only three days Datura had petitioned Hudson to formerly join the Clan so she could spend more time with Lexington. The elder gargoyle had graciously accepted her petition. Even Splinter had agreed it was best that his 'little sister' spent more time with other gargoyles. However Splinter made it clear they would always be family and if Datura ever needed anything from him or the rest of her 'extended family' just ask. Splinter also told Datura she could visit him, and the others, anytime she wanted.

"I know what you mean" Lexington said, playing with Datura's bowl shaped black colored hairdo in a teasing fashion.

"Hey watch it, you're messing up my hair Lex" Datura said, playfully batting Lexington's hand away.

"Some of us don't have to worry about such things. You should really consider the bald look, it has its' advantages" Lexington joked, wiggling his brow ridges.

"You're too much Lex" Datura said, before bursting out in laughter.

"I try" Lexington said, bursting into laughter himself.

"Lets' go get some pizza before Michelangelo eats it all" Datura said heading towards the doorway, gesturing for Lexington to follow.

In the larger chamber that severed as the Turtles' dining room Raphael and Mona Lisa were already seated. Michelangelo was just serving the pizzas. Splinter and Usagi Yojimbo were conspicuously absent.

"Where are Hamato and Usagi?" Datura asked entering the chamber.

"Master Splinter is helping Usagi work through his issues" Mona Lisa answered. "They should be along, eventually."

"I hate to see the poor little dude hurting" Michelangelo said, serving up the pizzas. "I wish there was something more we could do for our buddy Usagi."

"After what they did, I still think we should have put a beating on the POF-SOR that they'd never forget. Show them we aren't push overs" Raphael said.

Nobody said anything for a long time. Everyone just sat down and ate their food. Finally Lexington broke the silence.

"I know Hudson wouldn't approve, nor would Splinter. After watching poor Usagi struggle every day, if the POF-SOR ever lay a hand on anyone I care about again I'm with you Raphael."

"Please Lexington, I don't want to think about those evil people" Datura said, a shiver crawling up her spine.

"Datura is right dudes and dudettes" Michelangelo said. "They aren't worth our time. They certainly aren't worth running good pizzas over."

Central Park the following morning

The rapidly moving transdimensional portal unceremoniously deposited the voyagers from Dimension X into the tree tops. The five gargoyles instantly turned to stone the moment sunlight touched their skin. The three turtles, one neutrino, and one human didn't fare any better. By the time the portal had closed the group was scattered over a several hundred square foot radius.

"At least nothing worse can happen" said the neutrino Kala, getting up off the grassy area near the pond where she had landed.

"Indeed my lady" King Arthur agreed, getting up from where he had fallen a few feet away.

"I wouldn't say that" declared a deep threatening voice from behind the pair.

Whirling around King Arthur received a vicious left hook to the chin which sent him spinning backwards several feet. Before he could fully recover he was kicked in the stomach so hard, had he not been wearing armor, he would have likely passed out from the impact. Staggering to his feet King Arthur sized up his opponent, a large shark mutant. Unsheathing his sword Arthur with a fierce cry charged Armaggon.

"I've had enough of this foolishness! Your antics make me wish we had enough mutagen for two, you would make a powerful slave, alas we do not" Armaggon said stunning King Arthur with a blast from his forearm mounted laser cannon. "Killer Bee, Scale Tail get the girl!" Armaggon ordered.

The bee and cobra mutants circled Kala. She was able to dodge Killer Bee's dive bomb attack, not once but twice. She feel victim however to Scale Tail's venomous spite. Laying on the ground, withering in pain Kala was easily hoisted up and carried away by Scale Tail. The three mutants, and their query, gathered around Armaggon who used his personal teleporter to beat a hasty retreat, but not before delivering one last brutal kick to the prone King Arthur.

It was sometime before King Arthur recovered from Armaggon's sneak attack. By the time he did Donatello had found him. Elsewhere Leonardo &Venus were undertaking the arduous task of gathering together and protecting the now stone gargoyles.

Once King Arthur informed Donatello of Kala's fate at the hands of the evil mutant attackers, Donatello used his turtlecom. Donatello contacted his brethren in the Lair. Everyone was ecstatic to see Donatello was safe and hear that the others were also accounted for. Naturally they asked where the erstwhile group had been during the past three months. Donatello had silenced the inquires by explaining that Kala the neutrino had been kidnapped by Armaggon's gang. This upset everyone greatly, none more so than Michelangelo who vowed he'd retrieve Kala from the evil clutches of Armaggon no matter what. Donatello requested that the others come to Central Park at once, as his group needed help tending their hibernating allies.

The Secret Base of Armaggon early afternoon

"Good the effects of the venom have finally worn off" Armaggon said looking at Kala who was now securely restrained in a chair. "I was worried your alien physiology might be more susceptible than our own."

"How c-can you be s-so sure I'm not from Earth?" Kala said, with a perfect poker face.

"Because we have met before my dear" Armaggon replied.

"I don't think so. I'd remember seeing something as ugly as you before" Kala said, shaking her head.

"I haven't always looked this way" Armaggon growled. "I was once human. Which is more than I can say for you neutrino!" Armaggon approached Kala, pulling back her bangs he revealed her pointed ears. "See I was once Vernon Fenwick sometime reluctant friend more often bitter rival of April O'Neil, best friend of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Yes I know your kind well native of Dimension X. Manx are you ready for our guest?"

"I am" Manx the cougar, mutant in the red jumpsuit with the black gloves and boots, said entering the room. Trailing Manx was Alopex, the female artic fox mutant dressed in a black jumpsuit, boots and cloak; she was pulling a cart full of laboratory equipment behind her.

"Hmmm, what shall it be?" Armaggon mused, picking up a tray of vials that contained pale yellow liquids. "Ah this looks promising." Armaggon removed the vile that was labeled _Phrynosoma platyrhinos_ _(desert horned lizard). _Armaggon handed the vial to Manx who loaded it into a gun like device followed by a vial of a mutagen. "Do it!" Armaggon ordered.

Manx hesitated for an instant before mouthing the words 'I'm sorry' at Kala. Manx then injected the cocktail of substances into Kala's exposed shoulder, while Alopex looked away in shame. Ten minutes later Kala's transformation was complete. Where the neutrino girl once sat was a female desert horned lizard mutant with tough, spiky, orange colored skin, a long, powerful tail and a hairless reptilian shaped head with two small horns. Kala's trademark bright green dress had grown tight on her lengthening frame. Her boots and stockings were destroyed by her new spikey skin and increased mass.

"Why are you doing this?" Kala stammered, looking at her transformed body in dismay. Manx, like Alopex, would not make eye contact with the new mutant.

"Because I can" Armaggon said with a low chuckle. "Besides I thought you'd enjoy being a mutant freak like your friends the Turtles."

"I maybe a mutant now, but you're a monster" Kala said defiantly.

"Why is she being so belligerent?" Armaggon asked, turning towards Manx. "Didn't you add the loyalty compound like I instructed?"

"Like I told you unc,,, master Armaggon your loyalty compound interferes with the normal genetic combination processes of the mutagen" Manx explained. "Your near lack of said compound when you altered myself and Alopex is why we are so much more intelligent that Killer Bee & Scale Tail. You can either have smart, dynamic mutants or slow, subservient mutants. The choice is yours, my master."

"You will make no further decisions of this magnitude without first consulting me, understand!?" Armaggon growled at Manx.

"Yes master, I understand" Manx said, giving Armaggon a quick salute.

Armaggon stomped out of the room muttering something nasty under his breath. The moment Armaggon turned his back Kala noticed the sneer that formed on Manx's face. Briefly she met Manx's gaze, the other mutant's expression instantly changing to one of sadness before again avoiding her gaze.

"Please help me" Kala whined at the other two mutants. "Please let me go. I know the two of you aren't like him. You are different than Armaggon, you are better than him."

"Girl you don't know us at all" Alopex said, for the first time looking directly at Kala. "What makes you think we might help you?"

"Because I could see it in your faces" Kala explained. "Your reaction when Armaggon forced you to help him change me, you hated it. Before you turned away your expressions looked so sad, so full of remorse. I don't blame either of you for what happened. I have friends who will still accept me even as I am now, please let me find them. Don't condemn me to a life of servitude and abuse at the hands of that monster I beg you." By now Kala was crying.

Alopex walked up to the chair. Without a word she released the restraints holding Kala. "What are you doing?" Manx demanded with alarm.

"The right thing" Alopex said. "It feels damn good."

"When Armaggon learns of this he'll be furious" Manx warned.

"So what, the big goon is always 'furious'." Alopex countered, turning her attention towards Kala. "Get out of her now girl!" Kala wasted little time in scurry away down the hall, and in short order out of the building altogether.

The 23rd Precinct late afternoon

Upon escaping from Armaggon's clutches the transformed Kala had no idea what to do next. She knew she must find the Turtles. However she didn't know exactly how. The only option she could think of was to find the Turtles' friends at the Channel Six Building, being unaware of the destruction of structure and selling of the brand to TCRI Corp. When Kala reached the crater where the Channel Six Building once stood she feel into a terrible funk, having no idea what to try next. She was about to give up when she was caught by two uniformed police officers. Deciding it was best if she didn't resist them. She gave herself up without a fight. Roughly forty minutes later Kala found herself in the 23rd Precinct, sitting at a desk across from a Detective Matthew Bluestone. After some quick introductions Kala explained her predicament.

"I hope the officers who brought you in did not harm you Kala?" Matt Bluestone asked, offering Kala a drink of water which she gladly accepted. "Anti-nonhuman feelings have been running rather high in the City since last autumn."

"They didn't hurt me. They were polite enough. I don't understand one thing Detective Bluestone" Kala said, between gulps.

"Which is?" Matt Bluestone asked.

"Why I am I being arrested? When I'm the victim here" Kala asked. "I didn't ask to be mutated by those criminal mutants."

"I know I am sincerely sorry for how you are being treated Kala" Matt Bluestone said, his shoulders slumping. "A new protocol was enacted by the state legislature in January that states all nonhumans are to be apprehended upon sight and detained for in-depth questioning by any law enforcement officers who come into contact with them. I don't like it all more than you do."

A uniformed officer then entered the office holding a sheet of paper. "Detective Bluestone we just received this order sir concerning our mutant prisoner."

"Well don't keep me in suspense. What does it say?" Matt Bluestone demanded.

"By order of the governor the mutant known as 'Kala' is to be remanded into the custody of Dr. Anton Sevarius of TCRI Corp for genetic analysis and reconditioning. Dr. Sevarius, accompanied by a TCRI special security detail, will arrive at 5:00 pm today. Please make sure the mutant is ready for transfer by then" the Uniformed Officer read.

"Thank you officer, I'll take it from here" Matt Bluestone said, ignoring the squeak from Kala upon hearing the contents of the order. The uniformed Officer left without another word.

"Do you know your way around the sewers?" Matt Bluestone asked Kala.

The sewers sometime later

Michelangelo was frantic. The others could never remember seeing him so worked up. The usually laid back party dude had been on edge ever since he'd learned about Kala's fate. While Venus, Mona Lisa & Mondo Gecko had remained with King Arthur in Central Park to protect the sleeping gargoyles the four turtle brothers had scoured the City in an exhaustive search for the missing neutrino. Now the Fab Four were on their way across town, hoping they'd have better luck finding Armaggon's hideout on the West Side than then did on the South Side near the docks.

"The four of use mounting a search and rescue operation it is just like old times" Raphael said his voice gitty.

"Yeah it is nice, don't get me wrong having so much help these days is great still nothing beats a classic Green Machine operation" Donatello agreed.

"The four of use tramping around the sewers, and the streets above, on the lookout certainly does bring back a lot of memories" Leonardo said. "What do you think Mikey?"

"I think you three should shut up" Michelangelo snapped at his bewildered brothers, after a brief silence. "We should concentrate on finding Kala not on jibber jabbering dudes."

"Jeez Mikey we were just trying to lighten the mood" Raphael said.

"Would you want anyone lightening the mood if Mona Lisa was taken? How about you Leonardo? Would you want the mood lightened if Venus was missing?" Michelangelo said shooting his brothers an annoyed look.

"I suppose not" Leonardo said in a soft voice.

"Don't worry I'm sure we'll find her" Donatello said encouragingly.

"Don don't make promise you can't keep man" Michelangelo said, stocking up the tunnel.

Rounding a corner near the 23rd Precinct Michelangelo came face to face with the mutated Kala. In fact they literally bumped right into each other. Both mutants found themselves flat on their respective asses. Getting back to her feet first Kala was just about to run for her life when she saw who exactly she'd bumped into.

"Michelangelo thank Zarg!" Kala cried, jumping into Michelangelo's arms the moment he regained his footing.

"Wow a cut lizard babe" Michelangelo said, staggering back slightly under his loving burden. "You wouldn't happen to have seen a groovy little chick around her with red hair named Kala would you? She's kind of my girlfriend so don't tell her I said you are cute."

"Michelangelo its' me, I'm Kala" Kala said, getting out of Michelangelo's arms. "Hey wait just a minute buster you shouldn't be telling other girls they are 'cute'."

Michelangelo laughed. "I got you good. I knew it was you all along dudette."

"But how could you?" Kala asked.

"Your voice, your eyes they didn't change" Michelangelo said, "most of all because no girl other has ever liked me before, now lets' go home."

"Oh Michelangelo" Kala swooned.

Half an hour later the four turtles and Kala reached the Turtles' Lair. By now Michelangelo was once again carrying Kala. Upon entering the Lair Michelangelo looked at Splinter with a big grin on his face, as Kala licked his cheek with her now long tongue.

"Look what I found in the sewers Master. Can I keep her?"

The Secret Base of Armaggon that evening

Armaggon rained down blows upon Manx who coward before the enraged cyborg shark mutant. Manx held his hands up in a vain attempt to protect his head. Manx had never been beaten so severely in his entire life. Manx honestly thought his former uncle would kill him before the beating ended.

"You had one job, one simple, stinky job and you couldn't even do that right! All you had to do was make sure our new recruit didn't escape!" Armaggon raged. "I swear Manx if I didn't still require your scientific expertise so badly, I'd kill you right here right now as punishment for your failure!"

"Leave him alone!" Alopex snarled, bravely getting in Armaggon's face. "It wasn't our fault she escaped if you had accounted for her growing a tail during the transformation, which you should have, than this wouldn't have happened!"

"What are you saying?" Armaggon said, his eyes narrowing.

"If anyone should be punished around here, it is you!" Alopex brazenly declared.

Her allegation of wrong doing against Armaggon was reward by a forceful backhand blow that knocked her clear across the room. Before she could recover Armaggon was upon her raining down blow after blow after blow. Armaggon didn't cease his assaults until he had beaten the two other mutants into unconsciousness. It would be two weeks before either Alopex or Manx fully recovered.

Armaggon, still in a foul mood, settled down in front of the main computer terminal of the laboratory. At least the day wasn't a total loss. He did have the alien armor the neutrino had been wearing when she was captured. That was better than nothing. The blinking incoming message light soon caught his interest. Opening the message Armaggon saw it was from Ulysses Quintone. The message was brief comprised only of a few lines in Latin, with an accompanying English translation. It took Armaggon a few minutes to realize exactly what the former head of the TCRI Legal Department had sent him. It was a spell! More importantly it was a spell that, if the English translation was accurate, could give him the world he longed for. With a toothy grin spreading across his repulsive countenance Armaggon studied the spell in minute detail.

To Be Continued


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimers

All characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All characters appearing in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987 series copyright by Murakami Wolf Swenson, Inc. All other TMNT related characters are copyright IDW comics. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holders.

All original characters are the property of Celgress.

TMNT/Gargoyles Season Two Avalon and Beyond Episode Ten: City of Mutants Prologue

By

Celgress

"There's moments in your life that make you, that set the course of who you're gonna be. Sometimes they're little, subtle moments. Sometimes they're not."

Whistler – Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Becoming: Part 1 (1998)

Saint Damien's Cathedral late April 1995 evening

Lexington answered the incessant chirping of the turtlecom the moment his stone skin was shed. He quietly hoped nothing was wrong. There had been so much bad news lately. On the other end of the communication channel was the now familiar visage of the mutant Mona Lisa.

"Lexington here wazzup, Mona Lisa?" Lexington asked as his now constant companion the yellow skinned web winged gargoyle Datura stood by his side playing with her hair.

"Hey Lex, hey Datura, you should get over to Central Park ASAP. There is something here you should see, all of you. See you guys soon, Mona Lisa out."

"Who was that?" Seraphina said, shaking off several small bits of stone.

"It was Mona Lisa" Lexington answered.

"She said we should all head over to Central Park on the double" Datura explained.

"All of us?" Hudson huffed.

"Yup, all of us" Datura said cheerfully. "She seemed rather insistent about that point."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Broadway wondered. "Lets' go everyone."

"If we must" Hudson grumbled. "What about 'im?" He said, pointing at Bronx. "We can't just leave 'im here all alone."

"I'm not carrying him again" Brooklyn said, crossing his arms defiantly. "Not after how he acted last time, throwing up all over me in mid-flight. No, somebody else can have the pleasure."

A short time later the six gargoyles, and one gargoyle beast, took off into the night, Broadway carrying Bronx along for the trip. None of them had any idea what awaited in Central Park. Their only hope was that it was something good. It took the group less than half an hour to reach the park. What they discovered there, all would later agree, was nothing sort of life changing.

"Elisa you're back!" Seraphina squealed upon spying Elisa, a few moments after the six gargoyles landed in Central Park, the two females embraced. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too Seraphina" Elisa said, patting Seraphina on the back. Elisa knew the other female, being only about sixteen, thought of Elisa as a 'big sister'. It had been hard for Seraphina living with a nearly all male clan. Elisa silently wondered how Seraphina would react now that was about to change. "It is good to be back."

"So you're Elisa the Second in Command I've heard so much about since joining the Clan in your absence. I'm Datura, formerly of the Ishimura Clan of Japan, by the way." Datura said, offering her hand to Elisa once the latter had finished embracing Seraphina.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Datura." Elisa said, grasping the gargoyle girl's arm. Elisa quickly noted Datura only appeared about twelve or thirteen.

Nearby the Trio of young male gargoyles and Hudson were reuniting with Goliath. They were introduced by Goliath to the newly christened Othello and Desdemona.

"Aye it is good ta have ye back my children" Hudson said, embracing one followed by the other. "Long have I wished ye had survived."

"It is good to be back mentor" Othello said.

"We have missed you all" Desdemona added. "Now we are together again, so may we remain."

"Hi Goliath, Clan Leader, and Clan Elders I am Datura formerly of the Ishimura Clan of Japan" the young yellow web wing said approaching and exchanging hand grips with Goliath, Othello & Desdemona.

"As Clan Leader I formally welcome you into our Clan young one" Goliath said, smiling down at Datura.

"Hey" Broadway said, elbowing Goliath and pointing towards the young lavender female gargoyle that was standing by herself a few feet behind Desdemona & Othello. "Who is that?"

"This is Angela" Goliath said, motioning for Angela to come forward. "She is one of our Clan's eggs who hatched and grew up on the mystic Island of Avalon. It is a long story. One that is best told at length, when time would better permit. Please welcome Angela into our Clan, our family."

"Welcome Angela" Hudson said, grasping Angela's arm. "It be good ta have ye as one of my grandchildren."

"Thank you, grandfather" Angela said, with a few tears.

The other younger gargoyles gathered around Angela welcoming her into the Clan. Perhaps more importantly they accepted her into their own sub-group. Broadway was the most enthusiastic of all in his welcoming of Angela.

The Turtles' Secret Lair later that evening

"Man oh man its' great to be home" Donatello loudly proclaimed upon entering the living room area.

"Tell me about it" Leonardo said, from where he sat beside Venus. "Adventure is all fine and good, but at the end of the day nothing beats going home."

"I never thought I'd miss this toilet" Venus began.

"Sewer!" the others instinctively corrected her with a laugh.

Venus herself continued, barely suppressing a giggle of her own. "Fine, I never thought I'd miss this sewer yet I did."

"There really is no place like home" Leonardo said, snuggling with Venus.

"You got that right compadres. Home is where the heart is, not to mention the stomach" Michelangelo said entering the living room area, with Kala in tow. He was wearing a floppy, white, chef's hat and he & Kala were carrying several large pizza pies. "Snarf 'em down people there is enough for everybody."

"You know" Raphael said, from his seat by Mona Lisa, as he ate a slice of pizza. "This is the life let me tell you. If only all of our nights could be this peaceful."

"Yeah that would be wonderful" Mona Lisa said, sighing heavily. "If only it were possible."

"If only" everyone agreed, continuing their meal.

The apartment of the Maza Family the evening of April 30th 1995

Elisa paced back and forth wondering exactly what she would say when her he finally arrived. Elisa had dreaded this night ever since her return from the Avalon Adventure, as she and her fellow travelers were now calling it. Elisa knew the upcoming conversation would not be easy, most likely it would be one of the most unpleasant conversations of her entire life.

"He's here, he'll be up shortly" Diane Maza said, entering the apartment. "Are you sure you want to do this my dear?"

"Of course she is sure" Peter Maza said, answering for his eldest daughter. "It is high time this happened. These things need to be said."

"It is just he has been so angry lately. Won't this just make matters worse?" Diane Maza questioned.

"In the short term perhaps" Peter Maza said. "In the long term it just might save him, and us all, a lot of heart ache down the road."

"I hope you two are right" Diane Maza said, a worried look on her face. "I sincerely do."

The door knob of the front door began to turn. Elisa stopped her pacing. The door opened revealing Elisa's brother Derek Maza. The young man already had a foul look on his face. Entering the living room of the apartment Derek Maza shut the door behind him. A few minutes passed in tense silence. The only noises that could be heard were the ticking of the Mazas' grandfather clock and the whirring of distant sirens which drifted in through an open window. Finally Derek Maza broke the stalemate.

"You look well Elisa. Tell me did you enjoy gallivanting around the universe in the company of your new nonhuman friends, while we were worried sick?"

"Derek please don't" Diane Maza said.

"Its' okay mom" Elisa said. "I'm sorry you do not approve of my lifestyle, or my new friends, Derek."

"It more than that Elisa" Derek said coldly. "Do you have any idea how your actions have affected us? Do you even care?"

"Of course I care" Elisa said. "I still love you all. That hasn't changed because I'm a gargoyle now."

"So, where is the big one your boyfriend you know Goliath?" Derek asked with a smirk.

"That isn't important right now, what is important is that you can't work for the Shredder any longer Derek. He is an evil man, who will only hurt you in the end" Elisa said.

"Listen to your sister Derek, she is right" Peter Maza said.

"I see" Derek Maza said, his eyes narrowing. "You're both just jealous because Mr. Masamune has shown faith in my abilities, something no one ever did for either of you."

"Derek please don't say such things!" Diane Maza pleaded with her son.

"No, let him talk Diane. Let him have his say" Peter Maza said.

"Both of you were lousy cops, with lousy salaries, and lousy benefits. No one who mattered took any interest in either of you" Derek Maza ranted. "I'm different Mr. Masamune believes in me. He knows I'm going places, that I have a bright future. I will not quit my security job at TCRI Corp because you two don't like him."

"It isn't that we don't like him it is…." Peter Maza started only to have Derek cut him off.

"I know my boss is a 'bad man'" Derek Maza said with a sneer. "You claim Date Masamune is this Oroku Saki the Shredder. I say where is the proof? Where is it, huh? Do you even have any evidence? If so I certainly haven't seen it."

"Derek please listen Shredder is a dangerous man" Elisa said. "He has betrayed almost ever partner and employee he has ever had. If you'll…"

"Spare me Elisa" Derek Maza said, waving his hand dismissively at his sister's allegations. "You attempted to frame the man for your murder, a crime that of never took place. I've heard enough of your babbling I'm outta here."

"Derek wait!" Elisa said desperately lunging towards her brother, but he was already gone the front door slamming behind him.

The three remaining members of the Maza family looked at each other, their faces a combination of grief and bewilderment. Diane Maza started crying. As her father comforted her mother Elisa was at a loss for words. Elisa realized she had no idea how to fix things.

The Home of Jeffrey Robbins mid-May 1995 evening

"Its' been a long time Splint" The old African American man wearing sunglasses said, as Splinter and Hudson entered his house.

"Indeed it has Jeffery" Splinter said, taking a seat at the small table on which stood a tray containing tea pot, glasses and an assortment of biscuits.

"So, are your boys still protecting the World Splint?" Jeffery Robbins asked, taking the seat opposite Splinter.

"He knows?" Hudson whispered in Splinter's ear.

"That Splint and his boys are mutant crime fighters?" Jeffery Robbins asked.

"Aye" Hudson said.

"Sure do have for a couple of years now, ever since that blasted madman Shredder tried to take over the City. And you are?" Jeffery Robbins said, turning his attention towards Hudson.

"Jeffery this is my friend Hudson. He is the elder of the Gargoyle Clan who has recently taken up residence in City. I thought Hudson might enjoy meeting you, as the younger members of our respective groups are currently engaged in their own definition of fun" Splinter explained.

"It is pleasures to make you're acquaintance" Jeffery Robbins said, shaking Hudson's hand.

"Aye the pleasure is all mine Master Robbins" Hudson said, releasing Jeffery Robbins' hand.

"None of that formal crap, just call me Jeffery like Splint here does"

"Aye, alright Jeffery"

"Now Splint tell me how are your boys doing these days?"

"Well three of my boys now have girlfriends, only Donatello has yet to be so blessed."

"Wow" Jeffery Robbins whistled at the revelation. "Excuse my bluntness are the girls mutants or humans?"

Splinter laughed softly. "They are mutants. Their names are Mona Lisa, Venus and Kala."

"Well Splint looks like you might have those grandchildren you've always wanted yet"

"Perhaps" Splinter said, sipping his tea.

"What about you, my new friend Hudson how many are there in your family?"

"Aye my family, ere my Clan, has recently undergone much growth. There are Goliath, Othello, Elisa & Desdemona in what can be considered the generation of my children" Hudson begun to recount when Jeffery Robbins interrupted him.

"What exactly do you mean by in what can be considered the generation of your child?"

"Aye, sons & daughters, as well as grandchildren, belong to the whole Clan it is our tradition. In the generation of my grandchildren there are Brooklyn, Broadway, Lexington, Seraphina, Datura and Angela."

"By the sound of things you are both blessed with healthy, growing families gentlemen" Jeffery Robbins said, nibbling on a biscuit.

"Aye, I ere only wish the POF-SOR would leave us ere alone" Hudson grumbled, finally taking a seat beside Splinter.

"Indeed" Splinter said with a deep sigh. "They have been making our lives difficult ones the past few months."

"Some of those racists came by here a few days ago looking to recruit me, me of all people, for their cause." Jeffery Robbins said, slapping his leg before bursting out in laughter. "I told those bigoted bastards where they could stick their hatful propaganda."

"Jeffery you should be most careful when dealing with the POF-SOR, they can be extremely dangerous if provoked" Splinter said, his voice trailing off.

"Aye" Hudson said. "They could ere hurt ye Jeffery."

"Those clowns" Jeffery Robbins continued to laugh. "The ones who dropped by here were just a couple of misguided kids. Why are you two so worried? Is there something you're not telling me Splint, Hudson?"

"Members of POF-SOR recently murdered one of our good friends, a human named Obento" Splinter said his voice cracking with emotion.

"Good God!" Jeffery Robbins said, setting his tea cup down with shaking hands.

"My sister Datura and our good friend Usagi Yojimbo were then put on trial for the crime on trumped up charges" Splinter explained.

"Aye we think the POF-SOR slayed Obento because he was ere friend" Hudson continued.

"Which is why we are so concerned for your safety Jeffery. If anything where to happen, I'd never forgive myself" Splinter finished.

"Aye, nor I" Hudson added.

"I'm a big boy guys" Jeffery Robbins said. "Besides, it seems you folks have far more to fear from these fanatics than I do. I only wish there was some way I could help you and your families. There must be something I can do?"

"You are a good man Jeffery"

"Aye ye are Jeffery"

"I know I could write an op-ed" Jeffery Robbins said, his mood brightening. "It has been awhile, but it just might work. Yes that is exactly what I'll do."

"What is this op-ed of which ye speak?" Hudson asked curiously.

"Op-ed is short for opposite the editorial page" Jeffery Robbins explained in animated fashion, his creative juices now freely flowing. "Basically it is a column in the newspaper where educated readers can submit their own take on a news story, often surrounding a current controversy. My plan is to write an article in support of you guys, showing the good you have done for the City, and the World, over the years."

"Jeffery I cannot allow you to do so" Splinter said, shaking his head vigorously. "It would only make you a magnet for anti-nonhuman feelings, including violence against 'sympathizers' such as that perpetrated by the POF-SOR."

"Splint this is my choice" Jeffery Robbins argued. "If I want to stick my neck out you must let me. Bullies like these always back down when confronted. It may take some time, however they are all cowards at heart. Believe me, I talk from experience. I've dealt with their kind before."

"I know you have Jeffery" Splinter said, picking his words carefully. "While we greatly appreciate your assistance I could never live with myself if you were hurt because of your support for us."

"Aye" Hudson said. "Ye art an exceedingly brave and honorable man Jeffery, yet this scum be without any form of honor. They make sport outta attacking the defenceless."

"Don't let the sunglasses fool you" Jeffery Robbins gave a hollow laugh, a sound devoid of mirth. "Before I lost my sight I was a combat specialist in Vietnam. I am not as defenseless as I may look. If the need arises, I can more than take care of myself. I will not allow myself to be intimidated by these hatemongers."

Hudson and Splinter exchanged a worried look. The two old warriors knew there was no talking their energized friend out of his plan, at least for now. They only hoped that once Jeffery Robbins calmed down that he would see the wisdom in not antagonizing the forces of hate represented by the POF-SOR. At least that is what the two old warriors fervently hoped would happen, only time would tell though.

Outside a New York District Courthouse the afternoon of May 31st, 1995

April O'Neil had never been happier she practically skipped down the front steps of the courthouse. In just over three short weeks she'd be Mrs. Casey Jones. In spite of all the drama that had occurred in recent months April felt things were finally turning around. Yes everything was, at last, looking up. April dropped her paperwork as she stumbled on the last step. Reaching down to pick it up a gloved hand grabbed it before she could. The gloved hand then gave the paperwork to here. A familiar voice spoke.

"Tsk tsk tsk Ms. O'Neil you must be more careful" returning to a standing position April's vision was filled with the smiling face of John Canmore, who was in full POF-SOR garb minus mask and clock, "Dropping such important legal documents where anyone could pick them up, how clumsy of you."

"What are you doing here Canmore? Trying to get pets declared illegal so you can hurt them along with nonhumans" April said with a scowl on her face. "People like you disgust me."

"Listen here I will not be lectured on morality be someone who associates with filthy, sewer dwelling mutant freaks" John Canmore said, his face now a mask of tension.

"Good day Canmore" April said, turning on her heels to leave the scene.

"Remember Ms. O'Neil not all of your friends, like the little gargoyle girl and the rabbit man, can defended themselves!" John Canmore shouted at the retreating former reporter.

"What did you say?" April stopped dead in her tracts, her blood running cold.

"You heard me" John Canmore said in a smug tone.

"Yeah I did" Casey Jones said, appearing out of nowhere and getting in John Canmore's face.

"Now you listen" Casey said, mere inches from John Canmore's face. "If you lay a hand on any of them again, especially the ones you term 'helpless', I'll kill you."

"Is that a threat Mr. Jones?" asked a smiling John Canmore, as Casey slowly backed away.

"Consider it a promise Mr. Canmore" Casey said taking April by her arm.

"Casey you haven't talked like that in years" April said, concern evident in her voices. "I never thought I'd hear you say something like that to another living soul again."

"That's because no one has ever threatened our friends like that before" Casey said.

"Please never say such things again, you frightened me" April said, leaning her head against Casey's shoulder.

"I'm sorry April" Casey said. "I couldn't let him get away with talking to you like that or threatening our friends with impunity."

"I know, still promise me you won't pick a fight with that terrorist. He isn't worth it Casey."

"I promise."

The Home of Jeffrey Robbins early June 1995 evening

"Hello" Jeffery Robbins said picking up the ringing telephone.

"Did you write the pro nonhuman op-ed that was published in the New York Times last week?" asked a menacing voice.

"I sure did" Jeffery Robbins answered proudly.

"You should reconsider your position Mr. Robbins" said the Menacing Voice. "It would be a real shame if you got hurt."

"Now you listen here, whoever you are" Jeffery Robbins said. "I will not be intimidated by…"

"Click" whoever was on the other end of the phone hung up.

The TCRI Building the morning of June 14th, 1995

"Tell me why should I work with you again after you went AWOL and then betrayed us, not once but several times?" Shredder asked the image of the cyborg, shark mutant Armaggon that currently filled his communication monitor.

"Because I can give you what you've always wanted most, absolute power over Earth starting with this City" Armaggon calmly claimed.

"No thanks, I can do that on my own without your help" Shredder said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Eventually" Armaggon said. "I'm offering you World domination now, no waiting. The spell I have will turn every human who witnesses into a mindless slave, your mindless slave."

"And what do you want in return for this great gift, hmmm?" Shredder asked, still highly suspicious.

"Reinstatement as one of your lieutenants" Armaggon said, acting contrite. "My own country in which I can be absolute lord once the new order has been established."

"Very well, if, I stress if the spell delivers as promised I will grant you your request" Shredder said, disconnecting his comlink, "Shredder out!"

"Arrogant Fool" Armaggon spat out, disconnecting his own comlink, "soon I will have what I have always deserved, the City under my thumb!" Armaggon's trademarked toothy grin slowly spread across his horrible face.

The Renard Penthouse the afternoon of June 19th 1995

"I don't understand why I'm here Mrs. Renard" Casey said, sitting across an ornate desk from the regal Anastasia Renard.

"You are here because I require your services Mr. Jones. You use to be a private investigator before my husband hired you did you not?" Anastasia Renard asked.

"Sort of" Casey conceded.

"Sort of" Anastasia Renard repeated. "I want you to find out what really happened to my daughter Janie."

"I thought the police ruled her abduction a likely murder and subsequently closed the case?" Casey said.

"My daughter isn't dead Mr. Jones, trust me."

"How can you be so sure Mrs. Renard?"

"Call it a mother's intuition. Trust me, she is alive."

"With all due respect Mrs. Renard if your daughter is indeed alive, than where has she been all this time?" Casey Jones said, skeptically.

"I don't know which is where you come in Mr. Jones" Anastasia Renard said. "You will find her, of this I am certain."

"I'm flattered Mrs. Renard, though your faith in my investigative abilities is misplaced" Casey Jones said. "I wouldn't even know where to begin with this case."

"Start by locating him" Anastasia Renard instructed, opening a large envelop and spreading several large BW prints across the desk. All the pictures were of the same mutant criminal. "I believe this vile creature is called Armaggon."

Casey picked up one of the prints. "Where did you get these?"

"My first investigator took these before he vanished. I suspect Armaggon's gang discovered he was tailing them. I'm sure you will be less sloppy."

"I never said I'd take the case" Casey said, examining the pictures carefully.

"Mr. Jones I will pay whatever you want, half up front, half upon the recovery of my daughter money is no object. Please Mr. Jones I beg of you help me find her" Anastasia Renard pleaded he expression one of deep longing.

"Very well, I'll take the case at my usual rate" Casey replied, after some thought.

"Mr. Jones you are a saint. I will not forget this" Anastasia Renard said, shaking Casey's hand.

"I'm somewhat familiar, from reports, with these two mutants" Casey said holding up one print and pointing at Scale Tail and Killer Bee standing besides Armaggon. "I've never seen these two before, are they new?" Casey said looking at another print that showed Alopex and Manx by Armaggon.

"I know the fox mutant, accompanied by the cougar mutant, attacked my husband at a benefit shortly after Janie's abduction. Other than that I know nothing about these two. I can only assume they are relatively new recruits to the cause of that monster Armaggon. Why do you ask Mr. Jones? Do you feel they are important?" Anastasia Renard asked.

"I'm not sure, yet" Casey said, getting up from the desk and excusing himself. "I'll be in touch Mrs. Renard, soon I hope."

"I'll be waiting, Mr. Jones" Anastasia Renard said with a small smile, waving him out of her office.

The Turtles' Secret Lair the night of June 22nd 1995

By midnight Casey Jones' bachelor party was in full swing. Splinter along with Hudson & Bronx had long ago retired to spend the evening with their friend Jeffery Robbins. All the Turtles were there along with all the other male members of the Manhattan Clan, Usagi Yojimbo and Mondo Gecko. Detective Matt Bluestone couldn't make the party due to conflicting patrol duty. Everyone was having a tremendous time. Even Usagi Yojimbo was getting in the spirit of things.

"Y-you g-guys are the best" Casey slurred, holding a half empty bottle of tequila in one hand. One of his arms was draped across the shoulders of Leonardo the other across the shoulders of Goliath. "I love y-you guys *hick*". Both Goliath and Leonardo looked extremely uncomfortable.

Nearby Lexington snapped off a quick picture with a Polaroid camera he had got just for the occasion. "This is priceless" said the young gargoyle while laughing so hard he nearly fell over.

In a corner Othello, Raphael, Brooklyn and Donatello were playing poker. Raphael and Brooklyn were having the best night of the quartet by far. Both gargoyle and mutant had a large hill of poker chips pilled in front of them. By comparison Donatello had very few chips and Othello had even less.

In the kitchen Michelangelo and Broadway were busy cooking up a feast. In truth feast might have been the wrong term. The massive meal consisted of burgers, hotdogs, pizzas and nachos along with soft drinks to wash it all down.

Elsewhere the upscale apartment of April O'Neil and Casey Jones

By midnight April O'Neil's bachelorette party was also in full swing. All the female mutants and gargoyles were there. The atmosphere, while still boisterous, was more subdued than in the sewers.

"You girls are the greatest" April said hugging Mona Lisa and Elisa who were seated closest to her. "I just wish Irma could be here." April's gaze fell at the mention of her slain best friend.

"Who is Irma?" Angela asked from the opposite couch.

"Irma was April's best human friend" Mona Lisa explained. "She was murdered in cold blood by Armaggon about a year ago." This revelation elicited gasps of horror from the ladies.

"I'm not surprised" Kala said from besides Angela shaking her head in disgust. "Armaggon is a heartless monster. If I hadn't been such a coward I could have stopped him."

"Nonsense" Elisa said. "He would only have hurt you more. Don't worry, someday he'll get his."

"Enough about Armaggon" Seraphina, who was leaning against a doorway, said. "This is a party, well girls lets have fun. We can worry about our enemies some other time." And fun they had. The group partied long into the night.

Saint Damien's Cathedral the evening of June 23rd 1995

"What God hath joined together let no one rend asunder. I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride" declared Bishop Guillermo Maza. In spite of the fact that neither April or Casey were practicing Catholics, the Bishop had agreed to marry the two. Bishop Guillermo Maza had done so in part because he was acutely aware no other house of worship would be able, or more likely willing, to host the unusual guests that accompanied the ceremony.

Casey and April kissed deeply. The crowd applauded wildly. The Turtle Family, the Manhattan Clan of Gargoyles, Usagi Yojimbo, Mondo Gecko, and Detective Matt Bluestone were all in attendance. The only other humans in the crowd were April's Aunt the famous sleuth Agatha "Aggie" O'Neil and Jeffery Robbins. Earlier in the evening Splinter had given April away. Raphael had severed as Casey's best man while Mona Lisa had been April's maid of honor. Lexington had been the ring bearer. Datura had been the flower girl.

In the doorway of the Cathedral April tossed her banquet. Mona Lisa was the lucky one who caught it, much to her joy and Raphael's trepidation. April and Casey jumped into their red convertible and rode off into the night as their friend threw rice after the departing spouses. No one noticed the bizarre figure that intently watched the departing couple.

"Enjoy your happiness Mr. & Mrs. Jones, it won't last" said Pannton the Dark Jester, stepping back into the shadows the building ledge he stood upon provided. The lifeless eye sockets of his mask briefly flashed an unnerving shade of green.

To Be Continued


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimers

All characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All characters appearing in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987 series copyright by Murakami Wolf Swenson, Inc. All other TMNT related characters are copyright IDW comics. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holders.

All original characters are the property of Celgress.

TMNT/Gargoyles Season Two Avalon and Beyond Episode Eleven: City of Mutants Part One

By

Celgress

"These are the times that try men's souls."

Thomas Paine, 1776 C.E.

A soundstage in Pack Media Studios 6:00 pm June 26th, 1995

Armaggon was giddy as a schoolgirl. In a few short minutes he'd have everything he'd ever dreamed of, ever desired. Limitless power, money & fame would soon be within his clutches. Long had he awaited his ultimate destiny. Soon, oh so very soon, he would be undisputed master of all her surveyed. The City, then the World, would be his. His do-gooder enemies, the Turtles and the Gargoyles, had no idea the havoc he would unleash. They couldn't stop him. He was beyond their immediate reach. The best part of all, the clowns Shredder & Krang had no idea of his true intentions. A smirk spread across his face. It was a good day.

"We're on in five, four, three, two, one, go!" shouted the lone Technician behind camera one. The heavyset, balding man counted down to Armaggon's television debut.

Once the red broadcast light on the camera blinked on Armaggon began reciting, in Latin, the well-practiced spell. The pudgy Technician was the first to feel the effects of Armaggon's magic. Before Armaggon's glittering eyes the Technician became a heavyset mutant canine. Once the spell was completed Armaggon ordered his new minion to place the just finished recording on a continuous playback loop. Once this was done, the two mutants left the soundstage behind.

Exiting the studio into the warm June evening, his new slave be his side, Armaggon knew it wouldn't be long before his enemies learned of his coup. He also knew they would surely try to stop him, as would his former partners Krang & Shredder. He was oddly unconcerned. Let them come, this time he was ready. His trademark toothy grin spread across his ugly face, wider than ever. Yes let them come, it would be their funeral. No one could stop him. This was his City now; the City of Mutants, his mutants.

Meanwhile, several blocks away, in the TCRI Building Shredder & Krang watched the proceedings in the laboratory of latter. Using the energy of the Fire Star Krang powered up a device that jammed and overrode all other broadcasts originating in Manhattan that evening. This assured Armaggon's message had 100% market penetration. No one watching TV at 6:00 pm could help but see the message, they had no choice.

Shredder was rubbing his hands with glee at the thought of what Armaggon promised the spell would do. Like a spoiled child he couldn't wait until the populace of NYC were his mindless slaves. Nothing could go wrong, their enemies knew nothing of their possession of the Fire Star little own of Armaggon's spell. The two old villains felt secure in their scheme until Krang noticed something awry with the wording of Armaggon's spell. Unlike his partner Shredder, the alien warlord completely understood Latin. The hand of Krang's android body hit the off switch deactivating the monitor on which the two were watching the broadcast.

"Why the devil did you turn it off?" Shredder demanded his voice fully of anger.

"Because the spell isn't what Armaggon promised us" Krang gurgled.

"What do you mean Krang?" Shredder said, folding his arms across his muscular chest.

"The spell is a mutation generation as well as a loyalty enchantment" Krang continued.

"So what, we can always use more loyal mutants" Shredder said, thus far unimpressed by Krang's objection to the spell.

Ignoring Shredder, Krang punched several commands into the keyboard of a nearby terminal. A few minutes later a built in printer spewed out a long printout. Tearing the paper free Krang glanced at the contents before handing it over to Shredder.

"This is an analysis, with accompanying English translation, of Armaggon's spell" Krang told Shredder. "Notice the column detailing what they spell actually does versus what Armaggon claimed it does."

"Those changed by the spell will only be servants of Armaggon. That miserable mutant I'll decorate my quarters with his skin!" Shredder roared, balling up the print out and slamming it with his fist against the far wall of the lab. "Krang we must shutdown the feed immediately, before it is too late!"

"I'm afraid it is already too late" Krang said, watching several monitors which showed the rapidly growing chaos enveloping the streets surrounding the TCRI building. Hundreds of mutants of myriad varieties were rampaging through the block.

"Aw damn" Shredder said viewing the scene unfolding before his startled eyes. "Now what do we do?"

The Bridal Suite of the Hilton Hotel 6:05 pm

April couldn't believe that she had been married for almost a week now. It had been the best week of her life. April had never been happier than she was right now. April hoped Casey would finish his shower soon. If he didn't maybe she would join him, she thought with a devilish grin. Laying on her stomach on the large queen sized bed April absentmindedly surfed through the channels on the big screen TV that dominated the opposite wall of the suite.

This is strange April thought noticing that the fearsome image of Armaggon filling the TV screen. No matter where she flipped Armaggon was there. What was he saying, was that Spanish perhaps French? April soon found herself mesmerized by the strange chant. April found she couldn't pull her attention away from the spectacle no matter how hard she tried.

"Hey hon anything interesting on the tube?" Casey Jones asked emerging from the bathroom in his white bathroom, drying his hair with a towel. Before Casey's horrified eyes April turned into an orange colored cat mutant. "April, honey, are you alright?" Casey asked a few moments later slowly getting over his shock. Cautiously Casey approached his altered wife.

Without warning the new mutant lunged at Casey knocking him back. A struggle ensued. Attempting to keep the mutated April from gouging out his eyes with her formidable claws Casey grasped her wrists. The two then half stumbled half staggered around the home. Casey's misplaced feet inadvertently smashed the picture tube of the big screen TV. The struggle moved towards the sliding glass door that separated the suite from the balcony.

"April it is me! Why are you doing this!? What has gotten into you!?" Casey pleaded, all the while trying to restraint his changed spouse.

With a well-placed kick to Casey's mid-section followed by a loud hiss the mutated April broke free of her husband's gripe. Before Casey could recover April had smashed through the glass door and was gone. April scaled the fire escapes down to the streets below with surprising ease.

"April come back!" Casey screamed over the balcony railing having regained his wind.

The Turtles' Secret Lair 6:10 pm

"Master Splinter why is this creature on the news?" Usagi Yojimbo asked Splinter in his usual silted speech. The two were currently sitting in the TV room of the Lair, along with Donatello and Mona Lisa, watching the newscast.

"I do not know" Splinter confessed.

"Whatever he is saying he's been going strong for over ten minutes now" Mona Lisa said, glancing at her wristwatch.

"I think it is a pre-recorded repeating loop" Donatello said. "The real question, like Usagi brought up, is why are we seeing this loop rather than the regular newscast?"

"I don't think we should be watching this. It gives me the willies" Mona Lisa said shivering. "Master Splinter please change the channel."

"Right away my child" Splinter used his TV remote control to flip through several channels in rapid succession. Puzzlingly every station was playing the same bizarre program.

"Okay now this is strange" Donatello said, taking the remote control from Splinter. Donatello quickly flipped through the remaining channels on the dial. "It is on every channel. Guys get in here now I think we have a problem!" Donatello yelled towards the entrance of the TV chamber.

NYC City Hall 7:00 pm

Armaggon, accompanied by a large crowd of fellow mutants, marched into the building that housed the municipal government of NYC. A security guard tried to stop him Armaggon merely backhanded the man away as if he were an annoying insect. After a second security guard suffered a similar fate the woman working the evening shift on the front desk stammered.

"Wh-hat do you-you things w-want?"

"I'm taking over the City and the government with it" Armaggon said coldly, turning his attention towards his minions. "Restrain these three then find a TV set, show them my special broadcast."

The Streets of NYC 7:20 pm

The five Turtles, along with Mona Lisa, Kala & King Arthur, had just exited a manhole when they were attacked by a large group of unknown mutants. Leonardo had warned the group to leave the heroes alone but to no avail. An intense fight later the heroes were on the verge of victory when an even larger crowd of mutants showed up. Being overwhelmed by sheer numbers the heroes had no choice but to beat a hasty retreat. The heroes had barely escaped the now gigantic mob of mutants with their hides intact.

"What the heck is going on here dudes & dudettes!?" Michelangelo wondered gulping down air.

"I don't know the City is full of hostile mutants" Donatello said, steading himself against a nearby wall.

"Yeah we kind of noticed" Raphael said in his usual sarcastic manner, as he and Mona Lisa leaned against each other for support. "The question is why? Anybody got any ideas?"

"It could be caused by a spell" King Arthur offered, his medieval mindset saw magic as the most likely culprit.

"I don't know about that" Mona Lisa said.

"He could be right" Leonardo interjected. "Remember the broadcast featuring Armaggon that preceded all this mayhem."

"I do Leonardo" Venus said, from where she stood next to the fearless leader. "However if a spell was used the logical question is why were we unaffected? We all watched it, perhaps several times."

"Maybe it only affects humans?" Kala offered after some thought, nuzzling against Michelangelo for comfort. "We're all mutants after all."

"Not all of us" Donatello said, pointing towards King Arthur. "If your theory is correct why wasn't King Arthur affected along with the rest of the human population of the City?"

"I have no idea" Kala admitted.

"I can explain why I was unaffected by the enchantment" King Arthur said. "Back during my reign my good friend the wizard Merlin casted a spell that renders me immune to must forms of magic. It would appear the counter spell is still active all these centuries later."

The turtlecoms began chirping. Raphael answered his turtlecom first. "Raphael here, hi Casey how are you and April enjoying your honeymoon?"

"Listen carefully" the disheveled image of Casey instructed. "Somebody has changed most of the people in the City into vicious mutants."

"We know" Raphael said with a groan. "We think Armaggon caste some sort of spell over the airwaves. We don't have a plan for dealing with it, yet. We are working on it. Casey, why are you wearing a bathroom?"

"I had just finished taking a shower when this all started. I barely escaped the Hilton Hotel. It is pandemonium downtown. Mutants are rioting everywhere. Things are quickly spiraling out of control." Casey relayed.

""Where is April dude?" Michelangelo asked, over Raphael's shoulder.

"She's gone Mikey" Casey said, his face filled with sadness. "She got caught by the spell. She was changed into a cat mutant. She attacked me and escaped by using the balcony before I could stop here. Wait just a minute you said Armaggon caused this mess?" Casey asked his eyes narrowing, his voice filled with an ominous timber. "Do you know where that slime ball is now?"

"No idea" Raphael said truthfully, troubled by the look in Casey's eyes.

"Casey I think we should wait until nightfall. Then the Gargoyles will be awake, our numbers will be doubled. We're going to need all the help we can get" Leonardo said to the image of Casey Jones.

"Sunset isn't for another hour" Casey said, his voice holding the ominous tone. "April could be anywhere by then. Don't you understand I can't let anything happened to her, she is my World."

"Casey look I know how you feel" Leonardo began.

"No you don't none of you do" Casey said. "Your loved ones are safe, mine isn't."

"Casey going up against Armaggon alone under the best of circumstances is risky, now it could be suicide" Mona Lisa said.

"Mona Lisa is right" Kala said. "We do not know how much control Armaggon has over these new mutants. If his control is as complete as we fear you won't stand a chance. Look few hate Armaggon more than I do. Going after him unprepared won't help April. How do you think she'd feel if once we cure her she learns you died alone fighting Armaggon?"

"Fine" Casey Jones said. "I'll meet you at Saint Damien's in an hour, Casey out."

Saint Damien's Cathedral 8:20 pm

Bishop Guillermo Maza was having his own problems. At 7:05 pm he had finished giving his usual suppertime mass. The Bishop then retired to his study. His hope was that he could watch the second hour of the evening news in peace. A loud knock interrupted the Bishop's plans. Opening his office door the Bishop was greeted by several frantic parishioners. The frightened group explained that the streets outside were swarming with hordes of crazed mutants! The Bishop and the group of parishioners had spent the next hour barricading themselves in the Cathedral while waves of angry mutants tried to smash, claw and otherwise force their way into the house of worship. The Bishop only hoped they could hold off the hordes a few more minutes, once the Sun set the Gargoyles would save them from the mutant horde.

Rounding a corner the Cathedral came into view. The building was surrounded, on all sides, by a huge throng of mutants. The mutants were trying desperately to force their way in.

"Wow dudes & dudettes!" Michelangelo exclaimed with a whistle. "Since when was Saint Damien's so popular?"

"There must be hundreds, maybe thousands of them" Mona Lisa said in awe. "What are we going to do?"

"We crack some heads" Casey Jones said stepping out of the shadows of an adjacent alleyway, his voice low, an edge of cold rage detectable. Casey was now fully dressed in his traditional crime fighting outfit, complete with hockey mask. Kala, Mona Lisa, Venus & King Arthur were momentarily taken aback by his appearance.

"Casey is the retro look really necessary?" Leonardo asked a note of concern in his voice.

Ignoring Leonardo's question Casey withdrew a cricket bat from his arsenal and advanced on the swarm of mutant troublemakers. "Its' fun time freaks!"

The other heroes exchanged troubled looks before following Casey's lead plowing into the swarm of mutants. The tide of the chaotic melee soon turned against the heroes. The sad fact was there were just too many opponents. The heroes were overwhelmed by the sheer weight of the numbers opposing them. If not for the intervention of the newly awakened Gargoyles it is doubtful the heroes would have survived the battle. Even with the added numbers of the Gargoyles the combined group of heroes was hardly winning. With the assistance of the Gargoyles everyone soon beat a hasty retreat to the roof the Cathedral.

"What is happening?" Goliath asked.

"Armaggon caste some type of spell during the evening news" Leonardo answered, catching his breath. "It turned most of the population of the City into violence prone mutants."

"They've been destroying the City ever since" Venus added. "We think they spell only affects humans who watch it."

"This is awful" Elisa gasped. "My parents, my brother I have to find them make sure they are alright!" Elisa said, her eyes growing wide with dread.

"Wait" Goliath said. "You shouldn't go alone Elisa. I'll come with you. Hudson you are in charge until we return."

"Aye lad, ye can count on me" Hudson said. "Good luck to ye two and be careful."

"Same to you old friend" Goliath said with an arm shake and a smile, he and Elisa took off into the night.

"Now what do we do?" Broadway asked.

"We save anyone who is trapped in the building below" Othello said.

"Aye Bishop Maza has been good ta us all, he may need er help" Hudson said.

"Sounds like a plan dudes, lets' do it" Michelangelo said enthusiastically.

The heroes made their way into the building below. After searching for several minutes they found Bishop Guillermo Maza and his parishioners. It took some convincing, many of the parishioners expressed great fear at the odd appearances of their would be rescuers, after some coaxing the parishioners permitted the heroes to rescue them from the besieged Cathedral. Upon escaping Saint Damien's the heroes transported those they saved to the roof of a building down the street.

"We should get these people somewhere safer" Seraphina said, watching as the swarm of angry mutants broke down the doors and entered Saint Damien's.

"My Cathedral, my beautiful Cathedral" Bishop Maza wept, his knees buckling. "Where will those in need turn now. Forgive me Father for I have failed."

"Nonsense" Hudson said, he and Brooklyn helping the Bishop to his feet. "Ye have done great good Bishop. If not for ye all these people could have died. Ye art a hero, like us, never forgot that."

"You are right Hudson, thank you" Bishop Maza said regaining his composure. "We must be strong for those who cannot be. Where is my niece? Where is Elisa?"

"Elisa and Goliath went to check on the rest of your family" Desdemona informed the Bishop. "I'm certain they'll be fine."

"Seraphina is right these people can't stay here forever, it isn't safe" Angela said.

"Then where do we take them?" Datura wondered aloud. "Is there any place that is 'safe'?"

"I can think of one place that might fit the bill" Leonardo said. "The 23rd Precinct, Detective Bluestone will look after them."

"If he is still, himself" Venus said, voicing what they all feared.

"Anyone got a better idea?" Leonardo asked, no one did, "Okay its' settled we take these people to the 23rd Precinct. If all goes well we leave them in the care of Detective Matt Bluetone."

"Aye then what shall we do lad?" Hudson asked, looking at Leonardo.

"Then we find Armaggon put an end to this, one way or another" Leonardo said in a low voice.

"Finally somebody says something that makes sense" said the masked Casey Jones.

The apartment building of the Maza family 9:20 pm

"I'm scared Goliath" Elisa said landing on the roof of the building. "It is too quiet. What if something has happened? My God how will I ever go on?"

"No matter what remember I will always be here for you" Goliath said, putting his hand on Elisa's shoulder.

"Thanks, it really means a lot to hear you say that" Elisa said. "Even though I know you don't love me anymore. I'm grateful we can still be friends."

"What do you mean I don't love you anymore?" Goliath asked, taken aback by Elisa's words.

"Goliath I saw you kiss Nightingale on Avalon" Elisa said. "I know you chose her over me. It took a while, but I've accepted it."

"Elisa what you witnessed that night was our goodbye, mine and Nightingale's" Goliath explained after a pause, taking Elisa's hands in his own. "We decided to part because we had grown into two very different people with separate lives since we were last together. Nightingale even accepted that you and I belong together. She made me promise her I'd treat you right. Elisa I chose the promise of the future over the memories of the past. I chose you."

"Oh Goliath" Elisa said.

"You and I are one now and forever" Goliath said.

The two gargoyles leaned in close. They looked into each other's eyes, a dreamy look on their faces. Their lips grazed each other's. Their lips were almost touching when the building access door exploded outward. Dozens of screeching mutants flooded the roof top. Goliath and Elisa broke their embrace facing down their attackers. Within minutes the tide of the ensuing battle had turned against the two gargoyles as dozens of mutants became hundreds. With more pouring from the access door every minute.

"Elisa we must leave at once!" Goliath yelled tossing several mutants aside.

"What about my parents? I can't leave until I know they are alright!" Elisa countered, kicking several mutants away from her.

"Elisa if we do not go soon, I fear we will perish here!" Goliath roared while fighting off another wave of mutants.

"I can't go until I know the truth Goliath! Oh my God no, please no!" Elisa cried, catching sight of two mutants. One was a fish mutant the other a beetle mutant. The fish mutant wore the tattered remains of her mother Diane's favorite dress, while the beetle mutant's upper body was covered by the remnants of the Hawaiian shirt she had bought her father Peter on his birthday. "Mom, Dad" Elisa whispered reaching out with a trembling hand toward the two mutants. The mutants responded by hissing and then swiping at her with their claws.

"We are getting out of here now!" Goliath said grabbing the kicking and screaming Elisa around her waist.

"Let me go! Let me go damn it!" Elisa screamed, as Goliath propelled the two of them off the roof with a thrust of his powerful legs. "I can help them! Let me go!"

"No you can't" Goliath stated. "None of us can until we learn precisely what Armaggon has done. I promise you Elisa once we know the truth we will undo this terrible thing. You have my word."

The 23rd Precinct 10:00 pm

It had been tough going the remaining gargoyles transporting the Turtle Family and the humans from rooftop to rooftop. When the group finally arrived on the rooftop of the building adjacent to the 23rd Precinct it become woefully apparent no help could originate from there. The street in front of the 23rd Precinct was crawling with mutants. The bottom third of the building itself was on fire, and hundreds of mutants were rampaging through the neighborhood destroying everything in their path.

"What do we do now?" a worried Brooklyn asked.

"The only thing we can do" Leonardo answered. "We go underground."

"What do you mean?" Datura inquired.

"There is no safe place left in the City, so we take our guests into the sewers" Leonardo explained.

"We take them to our Lair?" Michelangelo asked.

"No, there isn't enough room there" Leonardo said, shaking his head.

"Than where do we take them instead?" Mona Lisa wondered.

"The old subway station we found a few years back. Where Baxter the fly Stockman tried to poison us four and April using toxic gas, remember brothers?" Leonardo said.

"Of course" Donatello replied, snapping his fingers. "The place we nicknamed the 'Labyrinth'."

"The Labyrinth would be plenty big enough, lets' go" Raphael said.

"Guys what about Detective Bluestone?" Broadway said.

"And Elisa and Goliath" Seraphina added. "We can't just abandon them up here."

"Our first priority should be the safety of the civilians with us. Once they are safe we can worry about Goliath, Elisa and Detective Bluestone" Leonardo instructed.

"Aye Leonardo be right" Hudson said, nodding his head. "Goliath & Elisa would want us ta make sure the humans ere safe. Lexington contact Goliath & Elisa on their turtlecoms. Tell 'em where we art going. If they cannot join us in time, they should make fer the Turtles' Lair."

"Good idea Hudson" Leonardo said. "Mikey try contacting Detective Bluestone on his turtlecom. See what the heck is going on with him. If you can raise him, let him know of our current situation and plan. After Lex and Mikey have done their things we'll be heading out. Once in the sewers we should reach the Labyrinth in three or four hours."

"Good luck" Casey said in a from beneath his hockey mask. His arms folded over his broad chest.

"What da ya mean 'good luck'?" Hudson asked the human vigilante.

"I'm not coming with you" Casey said matter-of-factly. "While April is still under Armaggon's spell I'm not leaving the surface. I'll either save her, or die trying. I however will not abandon her under any circumstances."

"Casey c'mon we need you, you need us" Raphael said. "We should all stick together until this is over."

"Raphael is correct, there is strength in numbers" King Arthur said.

"I will not give up on my Wife" Casey said, his voice brimming with barely restrained rage.

"Is there nothing we can say that will convince you to join us, if only for a few hours so you can rest?" Leonardo asked. Casey shook his head. "Alright, we wish you luck goodbye Casey. Everyone else, once Lex & Mikey have finished their calls we'll be leaving get ready."

Michelangelo couldn't get in touch Detective Matt Bluestone. No matter how many times Michelangelo try to contact the unit there was no answer. After eight attempts Michelangelo finally gave up. No one dare speculate the reason behind the Detective's incommunicado status. They all just hoped for the best.

Lexington had better luck raising Elisa & Goliath. The pair promised to meet the group at an agreed upon location before entering the sewers, which they did about half an hour later. After dodging several mobs of mutants the now complete group, minus of course Casey, entered the sewers. Nearly three hours later they reached the Labyrinth.

The group spent all day in the Labyrinth. The Gargoyles turning to stone, including Bronx the gargoyle best, once the sun rose. This startled all the humans, excepted of course Bishop Maza. During the afternoon half of the Turtle Family had gone to the Lair and retrieved much needed supplies. By the time sunset came many of the humans wanted to leave the safety of the underground dwelling. The remainder lamented the deplorable state they found themselves in. A few minutes after the Gargoyles broke free of their daily stone slumber the figure of a mysterious, green skinned woman appeared in a puff of red smoke. The Green Skinned woman had pointed green ears, long pink hair and was wearing what looked like the outfit of an Arabian harem girl. Everyone was flabbergasted.

"I am Titania queen of the third, um I suppose more accurately now the fourth race" Queen Titania spoke. "I come seeking help in return I will supply vital information."

"What sort of information?" Goliath asked, regaining his composure.

"How you can restore the balance of nature in your City. How you can stop the one known as Armaggon" Queen Titania said.

"Your information does seem vital. What do you ask in return?" Leonardo said.

"The death of Armaggon" Queen Titania stated, without a hint of emotion.

To Be Continued


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimers

All characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All characters appearing in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987 series copyright by Murakami Wolf Swenson, Inc. All other TMNT related characters are copyright IDW comics. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holders.

All original characters are the property of Celgress.

TMNT/Gargoyles Season Two Avalon and Beyond Episode Twelve: City of Mutants Part Two

By

Celgress

"Deserves it! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends."

Gandalf – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (1954)

City Hall the morning of June 27th, 1995

Armaggon was having the time of his life. Ever since he was a youngster, growing up as the human Vernon Fenwick, he had dreamed about this day, when all would grovel at his feet. He was never popular, even before the change Shredder & Krang had wrought upon him. It wasn't for lack of trying. No matter how hard he tried nobody ever liked him, even his former employer at Channel Six, his beloved chief, Burne Thompson. Armaggon bitterly recalled how Burne had discarded him without a second thought like a used tissue. Why couldn't anyone appreciate him? Why couldn't anyone see the visionary he was? All those years of taking abuse from Burne, not to mention April, Irma and later on those blasted Turtles, had given him nothing other than a mind full of resentment and a bad inferiority complex. Until yesterday that is. Yesterday he had achieved his ultimate destiny, his birthright! Yes everything was at long last right with the World.

Lounging on his makeshift throne, in what had at one time been the spacious main interview room of City Hall, Armaggon spied an orange furred female cat mutant who was standing nervously amongst a group of others on the far side of his chamber. There was something about the feline woman that held Armaggon's attention. What was it about her that held his gaze? He was at first unsure. The longer he looked at her the more he felt an odd connection. Yes there was definitely something familiar about this female.

"You there in the back the orange colored, female cat present yourself before me at once" Armaggon ordered, beckoning the female mutant forward with his right hand. "What is your name my dear?" Armaggon asked, as the cat creature walked up and kneeled before his throne.

"My name is April, April Jones my lord" April said, her eyes downcast. "I live only to serve you my master. In any capacity you so wish" April's gaze traveled upward meeting Armaggon's own as she uttered the last syllable.

This was almost too good to true! The spell had caught one of his worst enemies, perhaps his greatest rival. April was now under his complete control! He could kill her if he wanted. Wait screamed a thought that steadied his hand. There was something even better that he could do. Something that would both give him great, perverse pleasure and would give the Turtles, Casey Jones and their allies the Gargoyles no end of misery. Gently stroking April's cheek, an action which elicited a loud purr from the feline, Armagggon spoke.

"Tell me April my dear do you know what a concubine is?" A wicked smirk spread across Armaggon's fearsome face.

The TCRI Building near noon

"Sensors indicate that as of 06:00 Armaggon's forces have taken control of the entire city" Krang gurgled, while studying the information displayed by the banks of blinking computer terminals that dominated his laboratory from floor to ceiling. "The good news, if one can call it that, is our headquarters remains secure. Our energy shielding is holding. Our security measures have been successful. Additionally our primary nonhuman rehabilitation facility also remains secure. The bad news is we are no closer to creating a counter spell than we were when the crisis first broke out last night. Following an exhaustive search of the magical database I compiled from the pages of the Grimorum Arcanorum last year. It has been determined that the incantation Armaggon used was a combined modified enslavement & transfiguration spell originating in that very tome. Unfortunately, because of the alterations made, the normal reversals are rendered useless."

"I wonder how did Armaggon obtain these spells in the first place?" Shredder said, tapping his metal encased chin.

"The thief stole them of course when he was in our earlier employ" Krang said, waving a tentacle at Shredder dismissively. "The important question is how do we undo the damage the traitor Armaggon has done?"

"I'm all ears Krang. What do you have in mind?" Shredder asked.

"First of all we require more soldiers in our battle for supremacy" Krang said, flipping a switch adjacent to a microphone. "Anton bring in the new and improved Pack."

A door slid open Dr. Anton Sevarius entered. He was followed by the five beings that now made up the Pack. The original four members of the Pack had once been human. Now they were something more, or perhaps something less depending upon your point of view. The twins Jackal & Hyena were now cyborgs their bodies primarily made up of golden metal! One of Jackal's eyes had been replaced with an artificial one. The large, bearded, gray haired man named Wolf was now a huge gray furred mutant timber wolf! The Mohawk wearing Australian Aborigine Dingo had likewise been transformed into a large, though not as big as Wolf, mutant dingo dog. Standing behind the group was man sized gold & black colored robot with glowing red eyes that was crafted to resemble a human/canine hybrid. The basic body of the robot was modeled after the long destroyed Chrome Dome. The robot was designated Coyote version 1.0. It's function was nominal field leader of the new Pack. Coyote replaced the disgraced, in the eyes of Krang & Shredder, Dingo.

"Splendid, just splendid" Shredder said, clasping his hands together. "Coyote what is your primary objective?"

"The destruction of the groups known as the Gargoyles and the TMNT" Coyote said, in it's flat, emotionless voice.

"I don't know why this tin can is leading us now" Wolf grumbled, in a growling voice. "Just because Dingo proved unworthy doesn't me the rest of us are incompetent."

"Hey watch your mouth, or I'll shut it permanently" Dingo growled.

"Yeah, you and what army" Wolf retorted, the two new mutants getting in each other's face.

"Children, children" Shredder said. "No need to fight, you're actions prove exactly why we've put Coyote in charge of your little group. Bluntly we can't trust you."

"Sorry Master Shredder" Dingo & Wolf said, hanging their heads in shame.

"Coyote I am temporarily deactivating your primary objective protocol" Shredder said, turning his attention towards the robot. "You're new primary objective is to render all possible assistance to Night Flyer's squadron of Steel Clan Robots in restoring order to the City. This protocol will be activated in the foreseeable future until then you will execute your secondary objective. You will protect this building from all threats, comply."

"I comply" Coyote said, then left the laboratory the other Pack members reluctantly followed.

The streets of NYC mid-afternoon

Casey Jones had no idea where he was. Casey had wondered the City aimlessly since splitting off from the Turtles & Gargoyles the night before. He was still determined to find his missing wife. No matter what April was, and would always remain, his top priority. Maddeningly he had no idea where she went. He had quickly checked all the places he felt she might have fled in her confused state of mind, including their apartment, with no luck. Sure he had beaten-up nearly two dozen crazed mutants over the course of the day. Even his old, familiar companion senseless violence had done little to sooth his frazzled nerves. Casey was not the type of man who ever gave up. Tenacious as he was he could see no solution. His current dilemma seemed unsolvable. Whatever the solution might be, it remained tantalizingly out of his reach. He had to find April no matter what. His life wasn't worth spite without her. Where could she be? Casey almost wished he had a turtlecom, almost. He needed help as much as he was loath to admit it, even to himself.

A group of mutants shuffled by Casey's hiding place, a small alley. Usually Casey wouldn't have given the group a second thought. However he noticed this was the fourth group that had pass by heading in the same general direction since he had first hidden in the alleyway, which was only twenty minutes ago. He had observed the same type of herd behavior several times earlier in the day. The groups were also always headed in the same general direction. Casey wondered where the mutants were all going?

Slowly, stealthily Casey emerged from his hiding place. Casey snatched a small female mouse mutant from the rear of the group, placing his hand over her mouth so she couldn't alert the others. Casey pulled the mouse mutant back into the hiding place in the alley. Once he was sure they were alone, the group of mutants having continued on oblivious to the abduction, he released his grip on the small creature.

"I won't hurt you" Casey said, his voice barely a whisper. "I just want some information. Where are you going?"

"To our lord and master filthy human" the Mouse Mutant squeaked, "the magnificent Armaggon."

"And where exactly is the 'magnificent' Armaggon located these days?" Casey asked, his low voice taking on a hard edge.

"City Hall you disgusting hairless ape" the Mouse Mutant said, "I must be going. I am already late, and your actions have delayed me further."

Casey waved the mutant away. He watched her leave while contemplating his next move. At least he knew where Armaggon was now, and where April very well could be. The place of course was likely crawling with hundreds, if not thousands, of mutants by now. Entering there uninvited was as good as a death sentence. Spotting an old fur coat in a trash can a light bulb suddenly went off. Perhaps there was a way Casey could safely enter into enemy territory after all. Underneath his mask a wide grin formed on Casey's face.

City Hall late afternoon

Armaggon sat on his makeshift throne with his new toy on his lap. Her arms were draped around his thick neck. Armaggon had spent much of the day 'enjoying' her company, much to the chagrin of both Manx and Alopex. Both mutants expressed their displeasure with the situation. Alopex appeared especially distressed by Armaggon's public displays of affection towards April, which more often than not became extremely graphic. Armaggon winked, when following one such display, Alopex accused him of being a 'degenerate pervert'. Armaggon countered by asking the artic fox mutant if she were 'jealous' of the 'special attention' he was lavishing upon April. Alopex respond by storming out of the room, Manx right behind her. Armaggon just laughed heartily at the episode, enjoying the discomfort of his original minions.

"This one requests an audience with you Master" Scale Tail hissed, he and Killer Bee ushering in a particularly mangy mutant of some unspecified type. A mere two feet away from Armaggon's throne the unknown mutant bowed low before the inhuman dictator.

"Yes" Armaggon said a tad annoyed, shifting April off his lap and onto one knee. "What do you want my servant? Hurry up spit it out. I don't have all day you know. I'm a busy leader." Armaggon's eyes traveled over April's feline form, a predatory smile on his face.

"Revenge" said a familiar voice from within the undefined mass of hairy mutant.

Casey threw off the fur coat that had been his disguise. Casey sprang forward tightly holding the hilt of a machete with both hands. Casey's plan was to stab the vile Armaggon through the heart before either Armaggon himself, or his minions could react.

Roughly tossing April aside Armaggon dodged to the right at the last possible second. Casey's machete strike cut through thin air. Before Casey could ready another attack the cold, calmly hand of Armaggon encircled his throat. Lifting Casey effortless off the floor the enraged Armaggon chocked the life out of the unlucky man with one hand while simultaneously punching Casey in the torso so hard several ribs broke with the other hand. Casey, now seeing stars, dropped the machete before Armaggon carelessly tossed Casey's weakened form aside.

"Scale Tail, Killer Bee take this assassin to the holding area!" Armaggon roared. "When the two of you return we'll discuss your punishment for allowing an armed human killer to enter my court unsearched, do you understand!?

"We understand master" Killer Bee & Scale Tail said, picking Casey up off the floor.

"Good get this, thing out of my sight now!" Armaggon bellowed. By now April had cautiously resumed her place on his knee. "Now where were we my sweet?" Armaggon asked April with a smile. Killer Bee & Scale Tail dragged the half dead Casey out of the audience room.

The Labyrinth just after sunset

"No way lady" Raphael said, shaking his head. "We are heroes not coldblooded murders."

"Aye" Hudson said. "Taking a life in the heat of combat be one thing. What ye art asking of us it nah right."

"I assure you it is the only way you can undo the spell Armaggon has used" Queen Titania said, dispassionately.

"Are you certain there is on other way?" Venus asked the Queen. "Surely there must be some type of counter spell? Some conditions we could fulfill that would terminate the effects without terminating the life of the spell caster?"

"There is none. Does Armaggon not deserve death by this point? Has he not earned it several times over by his actions?" Queen Titania said by way of response, lifting up her arms. "Would the World not be a better place without Armaggon in it?"

"That isn't for us to decide" Goliath rumbled.

"I think this World would be a better place without Armaggon" Kala said, most of the other heroes looked at her in shock. "He is a monster. He tried to make me his slave. He admitted he wanted to torture me. Just look what he has done to all these innocent people."

"Kala don't say such things my sweet dudette" Michelangelo said.

"Why not Michelangelo it is true. It is how I feel" Kala said, standing her ground.

"Kala is right" Elisa said, everyone looked at the tan female gargoyle. "Armaggon took my parents, my family, away from me. He ruined the lives of millions without a second thought. I'm sorry, but I hate him."

"We shouldn't even be seriously considering this option" Angela said, her eyes wide. "Every life is precious."

"Most lives yes some, like Armaggon's, not so much" Brooklyn said. "I can't disagree with the fact everyone would be better off if Armaggon dies."

"Brooklyn you can't really think that way" Seraphina said, looking Brooklyn right in his eyes. "I know Armaggon has hurt you terribly in the past."

"He tried to use my Seraphina, to do this very thing only on a smaller scale" Brooklyn said, his voice filled with a mixture of rage and bitterness.

"We should consider all our options long and hard before we travel any further down this terrile path" Othello said.

"I agree with Othello" Leonardo said. "Once we do this once we make a conscious choice to take a life, any life, there is no going back. Our own lives will never be the same."

"How do you purpose we handle the situation Leo?" Mona Lisa asked.

"We should vote on the issue" Leonardo answered. "Majority rules, however those who vote against it are under no obligation to assist in the operation if the overall vote is in favor of doing so, Goliath do you concur?" Leonardo asked the Clan Leader.

"Seeing no other options, I'm afraid I do" Goliath said with a nod.

"Aye let us vote 'an be done with it" Hudson said ruefully.

Suddenly the turtlecoms started chirping. Goliath was the first to answer. He was greeted by the smiling face of Armaggon.

"How did you get this frequency?" Goliath snarled.

"A little kitty gave me her turtlecom. Wasn't that nice of her?" The image of Armaggon said. His long tongue licked the side of the head of the orange cat mutant that sat on his lap. "Isn't that right April? See April is my special friend now. Her favorite game is hide the fish stick." Armaggon finished with a wink.

"I think I'm gonna puke" Datura said, clutching her stomach.

"You fiend" King Arthur said.

"Adding rapist to your repertoire I see" Elisa said with distain. "Just when I think you can't sink any lower, you do."

"You can't rape the willing" Armaggon laughed. "Everything I've done with April has been consensual."

"BS, and you know it" Mona Lisa said. "You altered her mind with your stinking spell. It is no different than drugging somebody before you take advantage of them."

"What exactly do you want Armaggon, out with it before we block your transmission." Raphael demanded.

"Your friend Casey Jones made an attempt on my life earlier this evening" Armaggon said, his eyes narrowing.

"Yay Casey" Broadway said several of the other heroes applauded.

"In my infinite mercy I've decreed Casey Jones will die tomorrow night at Midnight" Armaggon continued undaunted by the reaction his earlier statement had garnered. "The execution will take place in Central Park. It'll be the social event of the year, you're all invited. See you there, if you dare bye bye." Armaggon's image blinked out of existence.

"Nice guy, what a charmer" Lexington said, rolling his eyes.

"What do we do?" Mona Lisa questioned. "The situation is sickening. We can't allow Armaggon to continue abusing April."

"Or kill Casey" Donatello added. "There has to be something we can do?"

"There is" Queen Titania, who had remained silent since before Armaggon's call, spoke up. "You can do the right thing. End this miserable miscreant's life."

"Queen Titania with all due respect your advice isn't helping" Desdemona said.

"My mate is correct" Othello said. "If you want Armaggon dead so badly, why not do it yourself and leave us be? Surely you possess the power to destroy him, if you so wish?"

"Oberon's law forbids me from taking the life of any mortal, even one as lonesome as Armaggon" Queen Tiatania explained, shaking her head.

"In sort you need as to do your dirty work" Raphael said an angry look on his face. "No thanks lady."

"I agree with Raphael we are not hired thugs Queen Tiatania" Goliath rumbled. "We will not kill someone because you ask. Tell us why this is so important to you. Why do you care if we stop Armaggon or not? What is your personal stake in this?"

"I will not be questioned by the likes of you. Furthermore how dare you refuse my request. Do not except any help from me in the future" Queen Tiatania said, before vanishing in a puff of red smoke.

"Where did she go?" Venus asked.

"Who knows the same place she came from?" Donatello said, shrugging.

"We can't worry about her right now" Leonardo said. "We need to save Casey, and restore the population of the City to normal."

"I agree" Goliath rumbled. "Our first course of action should be leaving the sewers. We must learn what is occurring in the City above. Then we can plan our next steps."

"You know we're only postponing the inevitable big guy" Elisa said, placing her hand on Goliath's shoulder as the heroes started leaving the Labyrinth. "We'll have to have the vote eventually. This doesn't change anything."

"I know" Goliath said simply, the two gargoyles followed the other heroes out of the Labyrinth.

The Home of Jeffrey Robbins that evening

"Hello who is there?" Jeffery Robbins asked, swinging his flashlight to and fro. The power had been out since late last night. The illuminating beam of the flashlight traveled over his front yard.

Jeffery Robbins had no idea what was going on, only that something was dreadfully wrong his neighborhood in Queens was never this quiet. Things had been this way since that strange program aired in place of the evening news last night. He had tried phoning his neighbors, but no one answered. His guide dog, Duke, had gone crazy the night it all started. The usually mild mannered canine had several braking fits that evening. It wasn't until well after mid-night that the behavior of the dog returned to normal. Duke's oddly aggressive actions combined with the general eerie atmosphere had kept Jeffery Robbins inside, until now.

"Aye tis' just us" Hudson answered, patting Duke's head the dog's tail wagging happily.

"Thank goodness" Jeffery Robbins said, with a sigh of relief. "Hudson is Split with you? Perhaps you can tell me what exactly is happening?"

"Ney Splinter is back at his home in the Lair" Hudson said. "A rogue mutant has cast a spell over ta entire City. Nearly all tha humans have been turned inta his slaves."

"How dreadful" Jeffery Robbins gasped. "When did this happen? How did this happen?"

"The spell was cast over the TV, last night during the six o'clock news" Seraphina explained.

"Hudson is this one of your granddaughters you've told me so much about?" Jeffery Robbins asked.

"Aye this be Seraphina" Hudson said.

"She sounds clever, very articulate" Jeffery Robbins said.

"There is something I don't understand dudes & dudettes" Michelangelo said.

"So what else is new" Raphael joked, earning him an elbow in the side from Mona Lisa and a withering glare from Kala.

"Why didn't Mr. Robbins change like the other humans?" Michelangelo asked.

"Good question" Broadway said.

"Please call me Jeffery" Jeffery Robbins said.

"I think I can offer an explanation. One must hear as well as see certain spells or they are ineffective. This must be such an incantation" Venus postulated. "In cases like this a blind, or deaf, person is immune."

"You must be Venus" Jeffery Robbins said, gesturing towards his home. "Split has told me much about you and your expertise in magic please all of you come in."

"Nay we have not the time. Jeffery please stay inside, it is a bad night" Hudson said, he and the others turning to leave.

"You are going to stop him, the one behind this, aren't you?" Jeffery Robbins said.

"Aye that be our hope" Hudson replied.

"Good luck, I have a feeling you may need it" Jeffery Robbins said, waving the leaving heroes off.

The streets of NYC the wee hours of June 28th, 1995

"How long have we been out here?" Broadway asked.

"Over three hours" Raphael answered. "Gee maybe we should just knock"

Leaving the home of Jeffery Robbins in Queens the heroes had spent several hours patrolling the city. Most of the areas they passed through were devoid of any activity mutant, human or otherwise. NYC had become a virtual ghost town. The Turtles had tried tracking down the families of their human friends Zack, Walt and Caitlyn but to no avail. Nor had the heroes been able to raise Detective Matt Bluestone on either the turtlecom or his home phone.

Obtaining several leads from the few frightened mutants they had encountered the heroes took up residence on the rooftop of a building adjacent to City Hall. Over the past three hours they had watched hordes of mutants enter the heavily guarded building, while only a few left. They knew Armaggon and his original mutants, along with the altered April and the captured Casey, were likely in City Hall however short of an attempted storming of the building there was little they could do.

"This sucks" Brooklyn said, kicking an empty tin can out of his way. "Are we just going to sit here all night?"

"Patience lad our time ere come" Hudson said. "In the meantime ye art makin' enough noise ta wake the dead, calm ye self."

"I doubt there is anyone up here to hear it, besides us" Brooklyn grumbled, capping his wings.

"You're wrong" pronounced a familiar, sinister voice from behind the heroes.

Whirling around the group was confronted by the Shredder, who was wearing his red & dark gray Steel Clan exosuite. Standing beside Shredder was a gold & black armored wolf man type robot with glowing red eyes, a gray male timber wolf mutant, a yellow male dingo mutant, two gold armored cyborgs who were clearly Jackal & Hyena, Night Flyer as well as at least two dozen Steel Clan Robots. Shredder, who had by now, removed his modified Shredder type helmet, flashed the heroes with a cocky grin.

"Well, well, well what do with have here" Shredder said. "Nearly all my enemies gathered in one place."

"I'd call this the catch of the night sir" Jackal cackled.

"Lets' eviscerate them" Hyena said, extending her razor sharp talons.

"Remember us Goliath?" Wolf growled.

"I wish I didn't" Goliath growled back, his eyes flashing white.

"You freaks humiliated us" Dingo barked. "I think it is high time we returned the favor."

The four upgraded members of the Pack advanced towards the heroes. The four Turtle Brothers, King Arthur, Hudson & Othello drew their weapons. All the heroes took up defensive stances readying themselves for combat. It was only the intervention of Shredder that prevented an all-out brawl.

"Children, please no fighting not while we have a common enemy" Shredder said, getting physically between the four Pack members and the heroes.

"You mean Armaggon" Leonardo said in a low voice.

"Correct" Shredder said. "He betrayed me. I will not allow him to go unpunished."

"What exactly were the two of you up to when Armaggon 'betrayed' you?" Elisa demanded, her voice filled with icy resolve and barley contained rage.

"He promised the spell would make any human who heard it mine and Krang's slaves" Shredder said, without battering an eye. "He didn't mention anything about causing mutations or increased aggression."

"I see" Elisa said softly before lashing out at the unsuspecting super villain. If Goliath had not held her back the female gargoyle would have gouged Shredder's eyes out.

"How dare you!" Elisa screeched, struggling against Goliath, "how dare you play God with the lives of so many, damn you!"

During Elisa's outburst The Steel Clan Robots along with Coyote & Night Flyer had trained their arm mounted laser blasters on the heroes. "Goliath control your woman" Shredder said with a smirk.

Releasing the now calmer, though still extremely agitated Elisa, Goliath got in Shredder's face. "You are a liar, a thief, and from what I've heard a murderer! I should make you pay for every life Armaggon has ruined!"

"Do you want vengeance or a potential solution?" Shredder asked the hulking gargoyle. "This current crisis is bigger than any we have ever faced."

"You have a solution?" Raphael said skeptically. "Out with it."

"Krang and Anton have fully translated the text of the spell Armaggon used" Shredder explained. "It will remain in effect until, and unless, 'the sky burns'.

"How do we make the sky 'burn'?" Desdemona wondered. "Is it even possible?"

"Krang and I have developed a plan to do so" Shredder said. "Meet us at castle Wyvern atop my TCRI building tomorrow night after sunset, if you're interested in helping. We're leaving, now." Shredder said, turning his attention towards his crew while placing his helmet back on. "Remember be there tomorrow night if you want to stop Armaggon." Shredder said to the heroes before he and his crew took off into the night.

"Should we trust him?" Goliath asks turning to Leonardo. Who had remained silent during the most of the ordeal.

"Do we have a choice?" Leonardo said.

The TCRI Building an hour later

"Will they come?" Krang asked the moment Shredder arrived in the lab of the latter.

"They'll come they can't resist playing hero on such a grand scale" Shredder said, removing the helmet of his exosuite. "Once they have outlived their usefulness it will at long last be time for my revenge."

"I love a good old fashion double-cross or, considering Armaggon's earlier actions, would this more accurately be classified as a triple-cross?" Krang gurgled rubbing his tentacles together with glee. "No matter, either way it warms my black heart."

"What heart Mr. Brainy" Shredder said.

"Oh Shredder you can be so cruel" Krang squawked in dismay.

"Thanks, I try" Shredder laughed.

A helicarrier somewhere above Manhattan early morning

John Canmore sat at a control panel. The mercenary was outfitted in his SOR-PFN garb, minus his mask. His helicarrier had just arrived in NYC from Bermuda, where it was semi-permanently based, following reports of bizarre civil unrest that was sweeping NYC. He had suspected mutants were behind the unrest now, watching Armaggon's transmission with the sound muted, he was certain of it. His Wife Karai had taught him enough about magic that he both knew how to protect himself from the affects as well as being aware that if you killed the caster in nearly all cases you'd terminate an ongoing enchantment. He was glad Karai was on a mission in Central America. He feared destroying this Shark Mutant wouldn't be easy. Rechecking his weapons he plotted a course for City Hall, the building his sensors told him was the epicenter of the current mutant epidemic.

"Your time is almost up, ugly" John Canmore said putting on his mask while watching the video loop of Armaggon casting his now infamous spell on his monitor. "Hope you've enjoyed your ill-gotten gain because the hammer of justice about to fall."

To Be Continued


End file.
